When I saw Portsmouth's contract offer, I knew I couldn't accept it - Brandon Haunstrup

The 23-year-old this summer opted to quit Fratton Park – and last week joined Kilmarnock in a two-year deal.

The Blues had tabled a new contract to the left-back, who believes it was motivated by business rather than the desire to keep him for footballing reasons.

Having made that gesture, it rendered Pompey able to receive sizeable compensation from the next club which signed Haunstrup.

However, having switched to Scotland, effectively another country, they instead are entitled to Fifa training compensation, which weighs in at considerably less.

And Haunstrup admits he was fully aware of the reasoning behind the club’s contract offer.

He told The News: ‘Mark (Catlin) and the gaffer pulled me into the office at the training ground and said “We are going to offer you a new deal”.

‘I knew it was coming because they needed to do that for a compensation fee. I get that from a business point of view for the club – but, for me, it wasn’t ideal.

‘The gaffer actually said to me at the end of the meeting “I’ve never seen someone so disappointed to be offered a new contract”. I’m thinking: “What do you expect? I’m not going to play”.

‘They handed me an envelope, I took it home and read it and put it back in the envelope.

‘It wasn’t a deal that said to me “We want you here”. It was more a case of if you are going to go, we’re going to get compensation for you.

‘When I came in the next morning, we were training at Fratton Park, so I met Mark and said “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to be rejecting it”.

Despite knowing he would be leaving Fratton Park at his contract’s end on June 30, Haunstrup agreed to sign a temporary extension.

That enabled him to be available for the Blues’ play-off campaign, along with Brett Pitman, Christian Burgess, Adam May, Lee Brown and Matt Casey.

Although ex-Crookhorn College pupil failed to make the 20-man squad for either of the semi-final legs against Oxford United.

He added: ‘Mark asked me to sign the extension to cover the play-offs, which was fine. I wanted to be there with the boys if needed.

‘I asked the gaffer “Am I in your head for the play-offs? Am I potentially going to be used?” He replied yes – and I wasn’t in the squad for either games.

‘It was hard not being involved against Oxford, but, at the same time, I knew it was coming.’

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