Portsmouth might be flagging in their quest to reach the Championship this season, but one of their players has received a big boost this week from his international manager.

Ronan Curtis was on the scoresheet as Pompey fell to a 2-1 defeat at Charlton, but he's been the subject of praise from Eire manager Mick McCarthy, commenting on the FAI's official website after watching the game.

McCarthy has recently raised a few eyebrows with a brave selection for the upcoming qualifying matches against Gibraltar and Georgia, picking lower league stars such as James Collins and Padraig Amond. He's also name Curtis, a player he poured praise on in the recent interview.

“Ronan has 12 goals now for Portsmouth as they push for a return to the Championship and many of them have been special,” said McCarthy.

“His latest goal, on Saturday, was definitely in that category. It was a real bullet header and one that the goalkeeper was never going to stop. He’s naturally a wide player, as we have seen on the many occasions we have watched him this season, but Ronan is a real goal threat as well."

“He’s a right-footer playing on the left and he is always looking to cut in from the wing behind the full-back and get into scoring positions inside the six-yard box. It is very difficult for defenders to cope with an elusive player who drifts in like that."

"It’s why Ronan gets so many goals and I really like that in a wide player."

Curtis has scored 11 goals in 33 starts for Pompey in the league this season, with his other goal coming in the EFL Trophy semi-final against Bury.

The Verdict

Curtis is a player who'll go on to much bigger things.

He's a quality footballer with a unique range of attributes that mark him out as a player with potential.

The international experience will help develop that too, playing with better players and indeed against better opposition. That might not be the case against Georgia or Gibraltar, but Switzerland and Denmark are also on the fixture list this coming summer.