The Portsmouth flop putting Salah, Saka & Co in shade as former Sunderland man leads way in English football

But Denver Hume is now making the kind of impact which may raise a few eyebrows at PO4, after a two-year stay which left the left-sided player being branded a Fratton flop.

Hopes were high over what the 26-year-old could achieve when around £200,000 was paid to secure his services from Sunderland, which was considered a fairly significant outlay by the club at that time.

It never worked out for Hume, however, as he made just 11 league starts for Pompey amid 31 appearances, struggled with injuries and then found himself firmly out of favour under John Mousinho.

A deal with Grimsby was agreed in last year’s January transfer window, with 16 appearances made at Blundell Park across the 2023-24 campaign as he finished fourth bottom in League Two.

It’s been a different story this term, however, with Hume taking on a leading role as the Mariners aim for a play-off place.

Incredibly, the Ashington-born talent has contributed to Grimsby’s cause with a whopping 10 assists so far this term. The vast majority of those have come from the left-back position Hume is associated with, making that return all the more impressive.

In fact, no other defender in the top four divisions of English football can match that output with only Fulham’s Antonee Robinson equalling that total. Only Liverpool’s Mo Salah (16) and West Brom’s Tom Fellows have more assists than Hume so far this season, with plenty of clubs likely to be following his progress with his contract up next summer.

If that wasn’t enough the volume of his supply is underlined in even more emphatic details when it comes to chance creation.

Hume has mustered a whopping 72 chances in league action for boss David Artell’s men to date. No one in any position can equal that in the top four flights with Colchester’s Jack Payne (70), Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz (67) and Barnsley’s Corey O’Keefe (64) the nearest.

Grimsby are now moving to tie down their asset to a new deal, but boss Artell knows his player will be gaming admiring glances from elsewhere.

‘In Denver’s court’

He told BBC Radio Humberside: ‘I’ve spoken to his agent. I know Denver had a meeting with his agent so I spoke to him before that.

‘We’re trying to get somewhere whether we will, it’s still fairly early days.

‘The ball more is more in Denver’s court than ours really.

‘Not at the minute (has a deal been offered) not in the grand detail of it, but the wheels are in motion form our end.

‘Denver knows what I think of him so we’ll have an adult conversation and if that’s a handshake and a signing great and if it’s a handshake and I’m going that also fine.

‘I’m not sure where it’ll go that, but what I do know is he’ll give his all for this club like the past 13 or 14 months because he’s a great pro.’

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