Why John Mousinho is convinced Portsmouth title hero is finally ready for Championship lift-off

The popular winger has so far struggled to spark creatively with the Blues this season, despite characteristically high work-rate, while he was recently sidelined with an Achilles injury collected at Cardiff.

However, Mousinho is more ‘confident’ going into fixtures of late, buoyed following four points from improved displays against Hull, Plymouth and Preston.

And going into tonight’s visit of Millwall (7.45pm), he believes his team is also now in a better place to enable Lane to thrive.

The Blues head coach told The News: ‘Paddy has to get his fitness to a certain level as a base. A lot of his successful periods last year were based on the fact he could run and run and run and put himself in really good positions, both in and out of possession.

‘He is back towards that level now, which is great and it’s just a case of him making sure he pushes his way into the side and shows those consistent levels of training, those consistent levels of games, whether he starts or comes on.

‘Then we’ve really got to try to get him back to the groove he had last year where the goals and assists were flowing on a frequent basis. That’s the most important thing for Paddy.

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‘He’s also been playing largely in a side this season which hasn’t been hugely successful. He came on in the QPR win, but from my perspective I certainly now feel a lot more confident going into these games than perhaps as a group 4-6 weeks ago.

‘That confidence has been bred from good performances against Hull, Plymouth and Preston. Hopefully Paddy coming back into that side rather than the one he left when he was injured against Cardiff is going to make a big difference.

‘I think the whole group at the moment is feeling a lot more confident about going into games with that hunger and desire to win as many points as possible.’

Lane netted 12 goals in 45 outings last season, establishing himself as one of the Blues# star performers in the League One title triumph.

Yet stepping up to the Championship has been a challenge - and Mousinho insists the Irish winger is not alone.

He added: ‘Sometimes it takes a while for players to adjust - and a good example this season has been Connor Ogilvie.

‘He took a couple of games to adjust at the start of the season and came up against some really tricky wingers. The likes of Dan James has given pretty much every full-back a really tough time.

‘There is a player we know in Connor who is very, very reliable. Sometimes it takes him a minute to adjust physically, mentally, the way the pace these games are played at.

‘Once you have got to grips with that, there are certain players who have been a lot better - and Connor is certainly one of them.

‘Paddy is one who will definitely thrive off the back of having a bit more of a spell in the league as well.’