Steve Seddon revelling from enforced break after Portsmouth boss worry over missing spark

Kenny Jackett had sought to recapture Steve Seddon’s freshness and spark.
Steve Seddon has made 17 appearances and scored once since arriving on loan from Birmingham. Picture: PinPep Media/Joe PeplerSteve Seddon has made 17 appearances and scored once since arriving on loan from Birmingham. Picture: PinPep Media/Joe Pepler
Steve Seddon has made 17 appearances and scored once since arriving on loan from Birmingham. Picture: PinPep Media/Joe Pepler

Then arrived the untimely opportunity for Pompey’s loanee left-back to take an enforced break.

Certainly, the three months away from first-team action will benefit a player who made an instant impact following his January arrival.

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Seddon had been in impressive form, yet at the end of February was rested, Jackett describing him as ‘a little tired’, while asking him to occupy the bench as Lee Brown earned a recall.

Although he subsequently returned following a two-game sabbatical, the 22-year-old first-team’s run was next halted by the coronavirus.

Now Pompey have football back in the diary with a play-off semi-final against Oxford United.

And a rejuvenated Seddon is raring to go.

He told The News: ‘I wasn’t tired. I want to play every game and to work hard in training every day.

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‘The manager took the decision, it’s not really my place to have a problem with it, to be honest.

‘I’ve come in and he’s been great and played me a lot. That’s what he felt then – and I have to go with that and make the best of it.

‘It’s not so much whether I was tired or I wasn’t. Obviously the manager felt my form wasn't up to where it had been and he was trying to regain it.

‘I would be wrong if I was saying I’ve been perfect in every game. I haven’t. There have been things I can build on in every match I’ve played.

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‘I know the manager felt my form had maybe plateaued a little and wanted to give it a new lease of life – and I stand with that and understand it.

‘Everyone here is definitely looking positively to getting back to playing.’

Pompey’s last match was a 2-2 draw with Fleetwood on March 10 – three months ago.

And it remains to be seen whether the time away has benefited a team which had been heading towards a 60-game season.

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He added: ‘You won’t know whether the break has helped you or been detrimental to you until a substantial period afterwards.

‘Football is weird. Sometimes the weirdest things are detrimental to you and other times the weirdest things are positive for you and make a big difference.

‘It’s far too early to say whether the break helps a team or person.’

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