Jack Whatmough made his long awaited return from injury on Monday afternoon, as the 23-year-old captained the Portsmouth reserves to a 1-1 draw against Plymouth at Home Park in the Central League.

It was the defender's first time back on the football pitch since February 2019, where he suffered a serious right knee injury against Doncaster Rovers that required surgery.

At the time, it was his third serious knee injury in four years.

The 23-year-old has since come through his rehabilitation process, and made the bench for last Saturday's 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon at Fratton Park.

However, Monday's reserve match against Plymouth was the first time in almost a year that Whatmough played a 90 minute game without any complications.

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Speaking to the club's official website, the defender analysed how he felt after what was a key moment in his recovery.

“I felt alright. I did get a little bit leggy late on, but then you get a second wind and feel fine again after that."

“So it’s another step ticked off for me that I needed and hopefully I can start getting in contention for the first team again," he added.

Whatmough also discussed the rehabilitation process, commenting that he was happy with how everything went behind the scenes.

“I’ve got full belief in myself after the work I’ve done. There was a great surgery and rehab, and we’ve made all the right steps.”

The Verdict

This game was a huge moment in terms of Whatmough's journey over the last eleven months, and the 23-year-old defender looked solid in what were awful conditions in Devon on Monday.

Whatmough now has to continue training well with the squad without setbacks and show to Kenny Jackett that he is ready to feature for the first team in their upcoming league games.