John Mousinho has moved swiftly to dismiss any speculation surrounding his future, reaffirming his commitment to Portsmouth amid rising interest following his Championship success.
With Norwich City and West Brom both on the hunt for new managers after recent sackings, the Pompey boss is inevitably being name-checked thanks to his meteoric rise and back-to-back achievements at Fratton Park.
But for Pompey fans starting to fear an unwanted summer saga, Mousinho has provided the kind of clarity and loyalty rarely seen in modern football. Speaking directly to concerns over interest from Norwich and West Brom, the 38-year-old was unequivocal: his heart remains firmly on the south coast.
“Genuinely, my mindset is I’d like to have a long, successful career at Portsmouth,” he said. “I still feel incredibly grateful to the club for taking a chance on me and a risk on me in the first place. I’ll never forget that.”
That sentiment is sure to strike a chord with Pompey fans, who have seen their club rise from League One champions to a secure Championship outfit under Mousinho’s stewardship. The bond between manager and club is not just professional—it’s personal.
“Portsmouth took that risk on me,” he added. “Hopefully people can see that it’s paid off so far, but it’s only two-and-a-half years. I think everyone, including myself, is very excited about building on that.”
Mousinho didn’t shy away from acknowledging the speculation, but he made it clear that the faith the club showed in him from day one far outweighs any outside interest.
“There’s no disrespect to any other clubs, but this is a very special place to play and an incredibly special place to coach,” he said. “We’re building something here.”
That project, led in tandem with sporting director Rich Hughes, has taken on a new energy since Pompey secured their Championship status with two games to spare. That breathing space has opened the door for real planning—not just survival.
“It was so, so important for us to stay in the league,” Mousinho said. “It wouldn’t have been disastrous from the club’s perspective—we weren’t about to fold the next day if we went down—but it would’ve felt like that to me. It gives us greater scope to build again as a Championship club.”
He called the opportunity to continue that journey “incredibly exciting” and hinted that the structures already in place will only grow stronger.
“There’s alignment there, in terms of what we’re trying to achieve,” Mousinho said. “I just find that incredibly exciting and I find it exciting working here. So I think we’ll keep that going.”
In a game filled with uncertainty, John Mousinho’s loyalty and ambition offer Pompey fans something rare: belief in a plan, belief in a person, and belief that something bigger is being built at Fratton Park—brick by brick, season by season.
In other news, Pompey manager admits player might have played last game.
