Breaking: Former Town star promoted again

Former Blues midfielder Lee Evans secured promotion from League One for the second year in a row when Portsmouth, the club he joined in March after leaving the Blues, won the title and a spot in next year’s Championship this evening.

Evans earned his second start and fourth overall for Pompey, who overcame Barnsley 3-2 at Fratton Park this evening, putting them seven points ahead of Derby County.

The 29-year-old left Town by mutual consent at the end of January, still a few weeks from full fitness after knee surgery earlier in the season.

The Wales international was unlikely to play much for the Blues in the final months of the season, leaving him as the 26th man in an EFL squad where Championship clubs could only select 25 senior players.

Evans has now helped four teams achieve promotion from League One. In addition to Pompey this season and Town last year, Evans won the title with Wolves in 2013/14 and was on loan with Wigan in the first part of 2017/18 when they won the division before being loaned to Sheffield United for the second half of the season.

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho recently stated that Evans, who signed a contract until the end of the season, might perhaps stay at Fratton Park for the next season.

“Certainly, we’re open-minded,” he stated. “That was part of the conversation in January, to see how things progressed and then assess where we are now.

“Lee is clearly on a free transfer in the summer, so that will be something we consider at the end of the season.

“I think, to be honest, and I don’t want to speak for Lee, but it felt very good for Portsmouth to bring in a player of Lee’s stature who had been promoted out of this division the previous year.

“Then for Lee to be able to sign on a free transfer for a team like Portsmouth, who are in the running for promotion, it worked out perfectly for all parties.

“So that was the most important thing, to get Lee back involved in football and you can tell he’s got a massive enthusiasm for the game – and it’s brilliant having him around.”

Will Norris, a former Blues loanee, was also in the Pompey squad and was awarded to the League One Team of the Season at the EFL Awards this weekend.

In the Championship, Southampton defeated Preston 3-0 to close the gap on third-placed Leeds to three points, four points on Leicester in second, and five points on the Blues at the top, with a game in hand on Town and Whites.