The forgotten Portsmouth man standing in path of reviving Championship hopes at Blackburn Rovers

So you’d be forgiven for not necessarily remembering Dominic Hyam’s time spent at Fratton Park eight years ago.

Recruited on transfer deadline day at the end of the summer window in the 2016-17 season, the defender was viewed as much-needed competition for Jack Whatmough and Matt Clarke.

Yet, the sum of Hyam’s first-team involvement under Paul Cook was to be included in a single squad - as an unused sub for a Checkatrade Trophy win over Bristol Rovers at Fratton Park.

That led to the Scottish international being recalled early by his parent club Reading at the start of December, with just five reserve appearances to his name.

It’s fair to say things have shaped up a little better for the 28-year-old’s career since, however.

Hyam now stands in the way of Pompey’s hopes of reviving their Championship season, as they go to Blackburn next weekend.

The centre-half has established himself as a Championship operator and central part of the Rovers set-up, since moving to Ewood Park in the summer of 2022.

Hyam is now approaching a century of appearances for the club, with an outing against Pompey next weekend his 99th in Rovers colours.

Sixteen of those have arrived this term, as Blackburn enjoyed a strong start to the campaign before trailing off in recent weeks.

Three defeats in the past four outings see Hyam’s team sat ninth in the table, ahead of Pompey’s visit.

For the former Blues loanee things improved after his difficult Fratton stay, but he had to put in the hard miles first.

A loan stint with Aldershot followed before he was released by Reading at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.

Hyam was picked up by Coventry City, however, who were in League Two at time, with his fortunes then steadily improving from there.

He finished the 2017-18 season at Wembley, where he enjoyed play-off final victory for the Sky Blues against Exeter.

After two seasons in League One he then reached the Championship as League One winners, with the 2019-20 season was curtailed amid the Covid pandemic.

A season was spent in the second tier with Mark Robins’ before moving to Blackburn two years ago on a three-year deal, for a fee believed to be in the region of £1.5m.