The great, the good and the dreadful: 13 Australian footballers who have played for Portsmouth

The highly-promising pair will be the latest from Down Under to spend time at Fratton Park, with 13 having been recruited since the summer of 1997.

Here’s a lot of the great, the good and the downright awful Australians who have represented the Blues in that time...

Hayden Foxe

46 games, 2 goals

Pompey paid West Ham £400,000 to land the Australian central defender in May 2002, thereby reuniting him with former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp.

As part of the Blues’ back three, he made 33 appearances during their memorable title-winning season which earned promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.

However, he would feature just 10 times in the top flight for Pompey, with a foot injury sustained against Southampton in December 2003 devastating his career.

After two-and-a-half years sidelined by the problem, he was released in the summer of 2006 and spent the following season with Leeds.

Hamilton Thorp

9 games, 1 goal

A powerful centre-forward recruited by Terry Venables from West Adelaide Sharks in the summer of 1997, he never started a league game, instead featuring off the bench seven times in the 1997-98 seasons.

His sole Blues start came in a Coca-Cola Cup fixture at Peterborough in August 1997, when he scored on his full debut. The first-leg clash finished 2-2.

Thorp was released at the end of the season, with Pompey finishing 20th in Division One.

Alex Robertson

27 games, 1 goal

Following an unsuccessful stint at Ross County, Pompey represented his second loan for the talented Manchester City midfielder - and he seized it with both hands.

Initially regarded as an attacking midfielder capable of playing as the 10, it was operating in a holding role which brought out the best of his abilities, thriving alongside either Marlon Park or Joe Morrell.

Unfortunately his season ended prematurely after tearing his hamstring during training in January 2024, representing a huge blow to the Blues’ promotion aspirations - although they continued to drive ahead to Championship promotion.

Pompey attempted to buy Robertson from City last summer, with a fee agreed, yet the Australian international instead opted for Cardiff.

Paul Harries

1 game, 0 goals

A young winger signed by Venables, his only appearance was as a substitute for Andy Turner in a 3-1 defeat at Stockport in October 1997.

Alan Ball’s January 1998 arrival as Pompey manager signalled the end of Harries’ Fratton Park career, with the Australian released at the end of the season.

Ryan Williams

91 games, eight goals

The Perth-born winger was recruited from ECU Joondalup and signed scholarship terms with the Blues in the summer of 2010, proceeding to have two spells at Fratton Park.

He broke into the first-team at the start of the 2011-12 season under Steve Cotterill, making his debut aged 17 years and nine months at Middlesbrough.

However, with the Blues spiralling towards administration, he was sold to Fulham in January 2012 following six first-team outings.

Williams was back on the south coast in June 2019 following his release from Rotherham and was man-of-the-match as Kenny Jackett’s side lost on penalties to Oxford United in the 2020 League One play-off semi-finals.

The skilful attacker left Fratton Park once again in the summer of 2021 after head coach Danny Cowley decided against renewing his contract.

Andy Petterson

34 games, 0 goals

The Australian arrived at relegation-threatened Pompey on loan from Charlton in November 1998 and instantly impressed.

During his maximum three-month loan, spanning 13 games, Alan Ball’s side would amass 17 points to clamber up the table - with the fans keen for the goalkeeper to return permanently.

That is precisely what happened, with Charlton releasing him in the summer of 1999 having recruited Dean Kiely from Bury for £1m.

Yet Petterson’s second Fratton Park spell didn’t go well, playing just 21 more times before being released on a free transfer in March 2002 and joining West Brom.

Robbie Enes

5 games, 0 goals

The central midfielder was handed his Pompey debut at West Brom in October 1997, with defeat marking six straight losses - the worst run for eight years.

Over the next four months he made just four more appearances, all off the bench, and didn’t feature again after January 1998.

At the end of the season, he was among four of Venables’ Australians released by Alan Ball.

Sammy Silvera

12 games, 0 goals

Having missed out on signing the Australian in the summer of 2023, Middlesbrough offered to loan him to Fratton Park for the 2024-25 season.

Having featured 37 times in the Championship for Boro, including four goals, it appeared a sound signing. However, the Australian international failed to shine.

He lost his international spot, found himself out of Pompey’s 20-man squad at times, while some Pompey fans turned on him during a December defeat at Bristol City.

With his loan cancelled last week, he has since joined League One Blackpool for the remainder of the season.

John Aloisi

66 games, 29 goals

Having previously spent five years in Europe with Standard Liege, Royal Antwerp and Cremonese, the striker comfortably proved to be the best of Venables’ five Australian imports.

Joining in August 1997 in a £300,000 deal, he scored three minutes into his debut on the opening day of the 1997-98 season in a 2-2 draw at Manchester City.

He finished his maiden Fratton Park campaign with 12 goals in 40 appearances as the Blues stayed up in Division One on the final day at Bradford.

He started the 1998-99 campaign in sizzling form, with 17 goals in his opening 26 matches, however the Blues’ financial problems dictated he had to be sold.

In December 1998, Aloisi left for Premier League Coventry in a cut-price £669,000 deal - and the following month Pompey went into administration with debts of £7.3m.

Alex Cisak

1 game, 0 goals

Recruited by Guy Whittingham on loan from Oldham in November 2012 - and he instantly produced a man-of-the-match display in a 1-1 Coventry.

Despite that eye-catching debut, he never featured for the Blues again after Oldham initiated a recall when their first-choice keeper was suspended following a red card.

Kusini Yengi

33 games, 13 goals

Arrived from Western Sydney in the summer of 2023 and an impressive first Fratton Park season brought promotion, Australia international recognition, and 13 goals.

Certainly it was an eye-catching start to life with Pompey for Yengi and much was expected of him following their return to the Championship.

However, groin problems and then a knee ligament damage sustained on international duty with Australia in Bahrain in November, have restricted him to just eight outings so far this term.

Yengi is expected to return to action next month.

Craig Foster

18 games, 4 goals

Recruited from Marconi Stallions for £300,000 in September 1997, Foster marked his home debut against West Brom with a goal in a 3-2 defeat,

He subsequently established himself as a regular starter in midfield and also netted in a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United in January 1998, while grabbed two against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

However, following Alan Ball’s arrival as manager, he featured just three more times in 1997-97, with a 3-1 loss at Crewe in February 1998 representing his final outing.

Like the majority of Venables’ Australian signings, he was released at the season’s end and joined Crystal Palace, where he stayed three years.

Jacob Farrell

1 game, 0 goals

Signed from Central Coast Mariners in July 2024, the left-back has endured a miserable maiden season at Fratton Park.

A recurring knee injury has restricted him to just one appearance - against Sheffield United in September - and, following an operation, he has been ruled out for the campaign.