Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley has jumped to the defence of the club's striker John Marquis, during a recent interview that he gave to The News.

The former Millwall and Doncaster Rovers player has struggled to maintain a sustained run of form since moving to the South Coast club for a significant fee and as a result has been the target for many fans over the past few seasons.

And this is something that was taken to the next level recently, as Marquis was booed openly by his own supporters in their recent game against Morecambe.

Now Cowley has leaped to the defence of his player, as he stated the following on the matter recently:

"I didn't hear it so I couldn’t comment.

"John's attitude has been very good, though. He's a very good professional, he works incredibly hard.

"We know what he can give the team, he's had a period out of the team where the team has done well."

Since joining the club back in the summer of 2019, Marquis has gone on to notch up 37 goals in 121 games for Pompey under various managers.

The striker is now into the final year of his contract at Fratton Park.

The Verdict 

It is a shame that Marquis has been reduced to being booed by his own fans and in truth it is a little unfair that he has become a scapegoat in some quarters.

He may not have hit the back of the net as much as many people will have expected but at the same time he is still a player that makes Pompey tick.

It is fair to say that he is slightly weighed down by his price tag but at the same time he has certainly improved somewhat under Cowley.

The hope will be now that he can go on a run of scoring goals moving into the new year.