'There has to be promotion, otherwise there’s no point being here': Ex-Cardiff man Marlon Pack reveals why he chose Portsmouth after Bristol City, Derby and Shrewsbury interest

The central midfielder has spent the past seven seasons in the Championship with Bristol City and Cardiff, amassing 267 appearances and 13 goals.

Yet, at the age of 31, he has been tempted to drop into League One with his boyhood club.

Despite interest from the Championship for the free agent, Pack was attracted by Danny Cowley’s ambition to drag the Blues out of their League One malaise.

And irrespective of his Pompey affection, the Bucklands boy is adamant he wouldn’t have rejoined had he not been convinced by their promotion credentials.

Pack told The News: ‘I definitely wanted an ambitious club.

‘I feel I still should be a Championship player, you have to hold yourself in high regard, so I want to get back to the Championship.

‘For me, the opportunity to do that is getting promoted with a good League One team. There was never an issue dropping down a league, if it was the right club there’d be no problem.

‘With Pompey, it’s going to be tough, there’s going to be expectation because of the size of the club and what it has achieved in previous years.

‘But there has to be promotion, otherwise there’s no point being here, that was the reason I signed, I want to get promoted.

‘You can’t guarantee it, but can definitely ensure we make a good damn job of trying.

‘I can sit here and beat around the bush and deflect the question (of promotion) a bit, but, ultimately, every season, ever since the club has been in League One, that will always be the aim, it has to be.

‘A packed Fratton Park is a tough place to go, we know that, and we have to use that to our advantage, while the travelling support is always big in numbers. If we can get it right, we’ll have a real opportunity.

‘You have always got to look to improve on last year. We need a vast improvement on 10th, I know the end of the season was quite positive, so we can build on that.

‘The Championship has to be the ambition. I’ve played the majority of my career there, I want to get back there – and there’s no better way than to achieve that with Pompey.’

Pack had attracted interest from Bristol City, although there was no contract offer, while he also held talks with Shrewsbury and Derby among others.

But it was Fratton Park which lured him from the Championship.

He added: ‘At this stage of my career, I feel it’s the right move.

‘I have a lot to give, a lot to improve on, and also a lot to prove. I’m not coming to the end of my career where probably my best days are behind me.

‘I spoke to Danny and Nicky a lot, I really liked where they wanted to go with the club, their ideas, how they see me fitting into it, the work they are doing with the training ground potentially and the stadium.

‘As much as everyone wants overnight success, I understand the club have been in League One for too long now.

‘But they are also doing it the right way, making it a bit more sustainable, which over the years they haven’t had.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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