Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley has revealed the club didn’t want to lose striker Ellis Harrison in the summer, ultimately fending off interest from elsewhere.
Portsmouth man Ellis Harrison was heavily linked with a move away from Fratton Park in the summer transfer window, with the Welshman ultimately staying at Fratton Park.
Deadline day offers were made for the forward, with Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle reportedly coming in.
Now, Pompey boss Danny Cowley has opened up on Harrison’s situation with the League One side.
READ: League One boss heaps praise on Portsmouth man amid transfer speculation
Cowley has revealed he held talks with Harrison on deadline day, revealing that the club were not looking to offload him.
He went on to emphasise the importance of this season for the striker as he enters the final year of his deal. Speaking with Hampshire Live, here’s what he had to say:
“I had a really good conversation with Ellis on the telephone [on Tuesday] evening.
“He explained his reasons. It is absolutely his prerogative to want to stay.
“We didn’t want to lose him. He’s in the last year of his contract. He is motivated, he knows that it is really important for him in his career after a difficult year last year that he plays regularly and he knows that he controls that and he owns that.”
Cowley went on to issue a challenge to Harrison, stating that he needs to get fit so he can be the handful he knows he can become. He challenged the striker to get in the team and then, once he’s there, help them become a top team.
The battle for a starting role
Once fully fit, Harrison will have to battle some strong options for a starting role in Cowley’s Portsmouth side.
Key striker John Marquis has been holding down the starting spot at the top of the pitch, while Leicester City loan man George Hirst is also an option.
The likes of Gassan Ahadme and Ronan Curtis can also be deployed as strikers if needs be, so Cowley isn’t short of players up top.
