The quiet Portsmouth kingpin out to fulfil Championship billing

A trip to Wembley emphatically secured and followed within a few days by the most emphatic success of the campaign.

And how gladdening that a surprise, key figure to creating that buzz has been an unassuming young chap from Southsea.

After topping 100 senior appearances it would it would be incorrect and possibly disrespectful to call this Ben Close’s Pompey breakthrough.

But this feels like Ben Close’s Pompey breakthrough.

It’s the emergence as a central character in the promotion narrative which changes the dynamic of the 22-year-old’s tale. For large parts of his formative professional career Close has been either a supplementary or peripheral figure - or just outright left in the cold.

It’s been a creeping development for the academy product this term, which saw him pick 14 starts with a further 10 arriving from the bench. That was until an unbroken run of eight consecutive appearances from the outset has really seen his stock grow.

Increasingly in that time, Close has become the man for his team.

Just check out some of the fan love in the wake of the weekend romp over Bradford to see that’s the case.

‘Man can dribble like Messi, pass like Xavi and score like Shearer.’ purred Jon Hooper on Twitter. ‘Has a great beard to boot also.’

Others just settled for doctoring pictures with Close insisting he’s ‘mustard’, with an expletive or two thrown in for good measure.

Yes, the tongue is firmly rested in cheek for some of the light-hearted quipping, but it’s not hyperbole to herald the level of the midfielder’s recent displays as outstanding.

The man-of-the-match plaudits have been stacking up in that time, but reached a new high with his showing against Bradford on Saturday.

If you were ticking the boxes for what you’re looking for from a player in the middle of the park, Close nailed the lot. Breaking up play? Check. Promoting your own side’s attacks? Yep. Retaining possession? Definitely. Using the ball positively? Undoubtedly.

The two goals, of course, were the perfect flourish as he proved that while perhaps he doesn’t fall under the box-to-box bracket, Close can offer much more as an attacking threat than maybe he even realises.

On an afternoon full of the kind of positivity which was desperately needed after eight winless league games, it was the display of one of our own which shone brightest.

In fact, as a single 90 minutes of excellence you are arguably going back to Ben Thompson arriving as a force of nature on his debut in the 4-1 win over Oxford in August for impact on a similar scale.

And it that’s oft-repeated name which, of course, is so relevant to his recent form.

It’s a significant compliment that with Close performing at this level, Thompson isn’t missed. And, make no mistake, the Millwall loanee’s been missed.

The importance of Tom Naylor’s return shouldn’t be overlooked too, when it comes to the midfield equation and his partner’s form.

In his recent two-game suspension Pompey’s midfield looked porous as they collapsed at Southend. Naylor’s attributes offer a steely and very necessary complement to his central partner’s probings, creating a blend which sees the pair preferred ahead of Bryn Morris at present.

Operating on the current plateau, it’s a midfield match-up which can be viewed as being at the requisite level for what lies ahead for Jackett’s side this term. 

So maintaining performances for the next two months is the minimum needed from a lad who talks of his game as ‘ratting around’ the opposition in self-deprecating fashion. It's an achievable target.

Back in the midst of League Two promotion celebrations in 2017, respected members of Paul Cook’s side proclaimed Close as a player with Championship-level quality. After a season in which he’d been farmed out to National League Eastleigh and barely figured at Fratton, it was quite a statement.

Fast forward two years and those words don’t seem quite so rash when viewed through the prism of his current form. Now it’s down to Pompey’s quiet midfield kingpin to play his part in becoming the player those close to him believe he can be.

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