‘There's no hiding away’: ex-Wolves and Coventry midfielder ready to live up to Portsmouth pressure ahead of promotion battle

Instead, the 26-year-old has insisted John Mousinho’s men can utilise the Fratton faithful to their advantage in their upcoming promotion bid.

The midfielder is one of nine new faces who have arrived at PO4 so far this summer as the head coach continues his squad rebuild.

The latest additions have seen Pompey emerge as one of the early front-runners in League One this term. And the Blues will be hoping it’s seventh time lucky as they bid for promotion to the Championship along with rivals Derby, Bolton, Barnsley and Co.

There is also plenty of expectation from the Fratton faithful, with the club announcing last week more than 14,000 season tickets had been snapped up by fans.

And with pressure to finally reach the second-tier higher than ever this term, Stevenson is adamant he and his new Blues side will not be affected by the supporters’ demands.

He told The News: ‘I think you have to be here (capable to thrive under pressure).

‘If you didn’t like the pressure then you shouldn’t want to be a professional footballer. It’s about embracing that pressure and thriving on it.

‘I’ve never actually played at Fratton Park when it was full, I played there during the Covid season and I’d like to see what it’s like full. I’ve played in big crowds before and felt like I always embraced it and it gives a lot more excitement to the game.

‘There's no hiding away from the fact this is a massive club and there’s added pressure because of it. They (the fans) have every right to think that the club should be higher.

‘As players and as staff we know that and that is the ultimate aim. The aim is to push towards the Championship this season.’

Less than 500 season tickets remain on sale ahead of the upcoming season as supporters hope their seven-year stay will come to an end next term.

And Stevenson believes having a sold-out Fratton Park could play a major role in their promotion push.

He added: ‘It’s definitely going to help. Sometimes when games aren’t going the way you like them to, the fans can play a big part in that from what I’ve heard.

‘They seem like really good fans and it’s a huge fanbase and I’m really looking forward to seeing what it’s like. They could give us the edge.’