The impact Portsmouth's financial crisis had on Jed Wallace making Championship grade for Millwall

One of the most popular Blues players of the past decade is the guest of the latest Pompey Talk podcast, which you can download HERE.

And on it Wallace stated a belief he wouldn’t have made his hurtling emergence at Fratton Park if it wasn’t for the club battling for their existence and the turmoil it created on and off the pitch.

The 26-year-old made his debut in 2012 at the age of 18 and went on to pick up 121 appearances before he left for Wolves in 2015.

Wallace said: ‘It was a mad, mad time. I thought at the time it was normal but now I know what a crazy period it was.

‘It was a massive bonus for me really.

‘Would I have been playing first-team football at that age for a club for Portsmouth, if they weren’t in dire straits?

‘It opened the door for me and it was just about can you get through that door and stay the other side of it? That allowed three or four of us to get established.’

Wallace came through the ranks at the same time as the likes of Dan Butler, Ashley Harris and Adam Webster.

Although the side never enjoyed success he feels that talent playing together now would make a powerful line-up.

He added: ‘There were so many new players and the only consistent ones through it all was the likes of myself, Dan Butler and Adam Webster that went through it all and came out the other side. We were probably lucky really.

‘There was people like Ashley Harris who was probably the best player at the club coming through.

‘It didn’t work out for Ash, but there were people like Sam Magri and others still playing now in the like Ryan Williams and Alex Grant.

‘Think if we had that XI now? It would be one hell of a team.’