Naylor: I came to Portsmouth for promotion – and we’ve still got a massive chance

The midfielder rejected a new contract at Burton Albion to move to Fratton Park last summer.

Naylor had a number of potential suitors chasing his signature – including Sunderland – but felt the Blues would give him the best chance of returning to the Championship. 

After missing out on League One automatic promotion, a successful play-off campaign is required if Pompey are to reach the second tier.

The Blues have it all to do in the semi-final second leg against Sunderland tomorrow, after suffering a 1-0 loss at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. 

Naylor, who has scored four goals in 54 games to date this term, stressed every member of Kenny Jackett’s squad are endeavouring to take Pompey up. 

And he believes the Blues can thrive under the pressure.

‘The aim at the start of the season was to get promoted and this is what I came to the club for,’ said Naylor. 

‘We’ve got a massive chance to do so and everyone is doing their utmost best to make sure we get there.

‘Everyone wants that. There’s nobody who doesn’t want to get that. We want to get over the line and get into the Championship.

‘It was really disappointing not to get into the top two. After the Peterborough game, everyone was disappointed and we were frustrated.

‘But we had the play-offs to fall back on and there’s another chance to get promoted.

‘That’s the route we’re going down now and we can do that.

‘Automatics is obviously the best one but we’ve got more than enough to get promoted through the play-offs.

‘We’ve got the players to do so and need to thrive off it.’

Pompey finished fourth in the table on 88 points, while they were crowned Checkatrade Trophy champions at Wembley.

Although Naylor admits it’ll be frustrating if the Blues have to spend another year in League One, he’ll still regard it as a decent campaign.

The former Derby man added: ‘Everyone knows we've had a good season.

‘We got 88 points, have been to a final and getting promoted would top it off.

‘But everyone knows we have had a good season and you can’t take that away from us.

‘It will be disappointing (if Pompey aren’t promoted) because we know we’ll have to do it again next season.

‘But that’s football and if you can win every game then brilliant – it doesn't work like that.

‘It will be frustrating and disappointing but if that's the case then we’ll need to crack in again and get automatic promotion from there.’