"I've been really surprised in a good way" - Claim dropped on Portsmouth star Terry Devlin | OneFootball

FLW's Portsmouth fan pundit is full of praise for Terry Devlin after his brief outings so far in the Championship

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Portsmouth have so far had very few standouts in what has been an underwhelming return to the Championship.

After only one win in their opening 12 games, Pompey fans will question if they have had players who have warranted praise after frustrating performances.

Following a 2-1 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday, fans are getting restless with performances, but it is difficult with current injuries and absence in the first team for John Mousinho.

This, however, can lead to silver linings and has opened the door for a few players to show their qualities when being presented with the chance.

Form will need to pick up and this certain player could be at the forefront of inspiration after recent performances.

"Never puts a foot wrong" - Portsmouth praise issued for youngster after surprising start

FLW's Portsmouth fan pundit, Militos Ioannidis, has picked out the one player that has surprised him in a positive way so far in what has been a difficult start to this campaign for Pompey.

"I took my time answering this question and the reason being, I want everything to be on a positive note, so I really wanted to think of a player that I've been impressed with.

"I did struggle, however, the player, I will say, has had a few exciting appearances so far in the Championship, and he has certainly surprised me in a positive way. He's still young and raw at everything he does.

"He never puts a foot wrong and that player is Terry Devlin.

"He's a player that has the right mentality and has all the right skills to become even better than he is right now. I've been really impressed with him, and he was certainly man of the match against Sheffield Wednesday last Friday.

"I think he's probably the only real player that I've been really surprised in a good way over his performances, and I would definitely like to see more of him."

Mousinho is full of praise for Devlin, youngster impressed versus Wednesday

Terry Devlin made the move to Fratton Park in the summer of 2023 after he caught the eye of Pompey scouts whilst playing for Northern Irish side Glentoran.

Many expected the 20-year-old to go out on loan to improve his development and, after minimal appearances in League One, but so far this season, he has proven his worth.

Devlin made his Championship debut on Friday night in Mousinho's side's 2-1 defeat to the Owls, but despite another set back, Devlin provided a positive for the Portsmouth boss.

Normally playing in midfield, the Northern Ireland U21 international has recently been deployed in right-back, and he doesn't look out of place thus far.

Speaking to The News after Friday's loss, the Pompey boss said: "Terry was great, his performance was excellent, particularly as it was his first Championship start and with playing out of position as well.

"I’m really, really happy with Terry’s contribution, he is going to kick on and go from strength to strength.

"He got back into the squad not because of injuries - we had fit players who could come in ahead of him against QPR and Cardiff.

"Terry came back into the side because he deserved to. It’s about what he’s done in training, that’s how we go about our business, we look at what players do every day in training, and we pick teams and squads off the back of that.

In what has so far been a glum season for Portsmouth fans, Devlin has provided a shining light and deserves his plaudits.