Third-time lucky for rejuvenated Michael Jacobs as luckless ex-Wigan and Wolves winger finally breaks Portsmouth summer duck

This may be his third campaign at Fratton Park, yet it’s a curious statistic that the popular attacker was unable to fully feature during the previous two summers.

As a consequence, he believes it impacted upon his Blues fitness during the ensuing campaigns.

Firstly, a contract wrangle at a Wigan side relegated from the Championship hampered his search for a new club in the summer of 2021.

Jacobs finally arrived at Fratton Park on a two-year deal in September 2021, long after pre-season had ended.

Last summer, recovery from medial knee ligaments sidelined him for the bulk of work ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

Now, fresh from signing a new Fratton Park deal, he’s at last revelling in a Pompey pre-season.

Jacobs told The News: ‘The fact I signed for Pompey after the first league game of my first season here probably didn’t help.

‘While last year I came back from injury in pre-season, so was a couple of weeks behind the squad in terms of playing.

‘This season I’ll be starting from the off and doing it all, which should hopefully help me.

‘That first summer, I did a bit of training with Wigan, but the club were in administration, there were triallists coming in and I felt a bit sorry for Leam.

‘My contract had run out, yet I had an option that, should the club stay up in the Championship, I’d get another 12 months.

‘However, there was an appeal against the relegation on grounds of the ownership, so I was waiting and waiting, which meant I couldn’t sign for anyone until this was sorted.

‘During that wait, I spent a lot of time doing sessions at home with a bloke I knew in the area, yet couldn’t make any decision on my future until the relegation appeal had gone through.

‘Basically, I would have been contracted to Wigan if the appeal was successful.

‘Unfortunately, the more information I got as time went on was that it wasn’t going to be successful. Ultimately, that proved right - and instead I became a free agent.

‘My whole pre-season was a bit of a waiting game, I had a few offers, then didn’t sign for a club (Pompey) until the day after the first League One game of the season.’

Jacobs featured for 12 minutes of Pompey’s opening seven pre-season fixtures last summer, before handed a start in their final match against Bournemouth under-21s.

He went on to make 32 appearances and net seven times as Cowley’s men finished 10th.

The 30-year-old added: ‘Hopefully this year will stand me in better stead going forward.

‘I’m feeling really good. It’s been nice to pull on the boots and be with the lads again after a few weeks off.

‘Hopefully I’ll be all right and there won’t be any problems.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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