Portsmouth have now managed to recover from what was a very uncertain period in the club’s history during the start of the last decade with them having sorted out their ownership situation.

The club started the last ten years in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in 2009/10. However, things were troublesome off the pitch and it was not long before those issues led to the a slide down the divisions with back-to-back relegations from the English second tier to League Two seeing them need to rebuild the club on and off the pitch.

Since then, Portsmouth have managed to get themselves back into League One and are now a stable club behind the scenes with ambitions to get themselves back into the Championship. They have missed out on promotion frustratingly in the last few seasons, but they are still well in the mix for a top-six finish this time around under Danny Cowley.

With so much having gone on in the last decade, we take a look at who we feel would make it into the club’s dream starting XI from that period. With a 4-2-3-1 formation used.

Some goalkeepers deserve a mention for some of the performances they produced during the last ten years for Portsmouth with the likes of David Forde, Luke McGee and current number one Craig MacGillivray amongst those. However, in here is Jamie Ashdown.

Ashdown was Portsmouth’s number one keeper in the first season that we are concerned with for this list in 2010/11, with him having been re-signed by the club on a two-year deal after David James had left. The keeper went on to make 50 appearances for Pompey in all competitions during that campaign. Whilst he was also able to break a post-War record going 636 minutes without conceding between February and March 2011.

The following campaign, Ashdown was again the number one for the first nine games of the campaign, before ultimately being displaced by Stephen Henderson. However, once the keeper had left the club he was reinstated to the starting line-up. Unfortunately, he could prevent the club’s relegation to League One and he left at the end of the 2011/12 campaign.

Other players could consider themselves unfortunate to miss out on a place in this side at right-back. However, when it comes to quality of players to have represented Pompey in the last ten years in that position Joel Ward has to be considered the best.

Ward, like Ashdown, was with Portsmouth at the start of the ten-year period that we are concerned with for this line-up and the right-back managed to establish himself as the club’s first-choice back in 2010/11. The defender managed to make 42 appearances in the Championship in the club’s first campaign back in the English second tier and was an impressive performer with three goals.

The following campaign, Ward was again a near ever-present in the side and delivered a string of impressive displays despite the side struggling for most of the campaign. He finished the 2011/12 season with three goals in 44 league matches and that was enough to convince Crystal Palace to make a move for him that summer.

Ricardo Rocha and Adam Webster can both consider themselves very unfortunate for having missed out on this list, with them having more quality than Christian Burgess. However, it is the latter who makes it into the side here more because of the longevity he gave Pompey this decade.

Burgess was signed by Paul Cook in the summer of 2015 as he set about his revamping of the squad and he managed to swiftly establish himself as a key player at Fratton Park. The defender managed to make 37 appearances in the 2015/16 campaign and scored two league goals. The following year he made 44 appearances as the club won the League Two title.

The defender remained a key player for Portsmouth during the last three seasons in League One, making 35, 25 and 32 appearances in those three campaigns. Whilst at times he was exposed in the third tier, he was always willing to give his all and was a key part of Pompey’s recovery back through the divisions during the last ten years. He left the club last summer for Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

It is impossible to ignore Matthew Clarke to be Portsmouth’s other centre-back alongside Burgess in this line-up, with the defender having been an excellent performer for the club during his spell at Fratton Park.

Clarke joined Portsmouth initially on loan from Ipswich Town during the 2015/16 season, and the defender managed to impress during that period making 33 appearances in all competitions. He was re-signed on a permanent basis the following summer despite carrying an injury from the end of his loan spell. The 24-year-old was an integral part of the side as they won the title in that 2016/17 campaign.

He was then a very consistent performer during the next two campaigns in League One as his quality and composure on the ball stood him out as one of the best centre-backs in League One. He also helped them secure the Football League Trophy during the 2018/19 season and in the summer of 2019, Brighton decided to make a permanent move for him.

It is hard to look past anyone other than Enda Stevens for the role at left-back within this starting line-up, with the defender having been an excellent performer at Fratton Park during his two campaigns with Portsmouth.

Stevens was signed by Portsmouth in the summer of 2015 after his departure from Aston Villa. The defender had been a decent performer during a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers in League One in the second half of the 2014/15 season. In his first season with Portsmouth, the left-back managed to provide nine assists in 45 League Two appearances.

The following year, Stevens was once again an impressive performer for Pompey and he managed to once again supply nine assists and also scored one goal in 45 appearances. The left-back’s form was enough though to convince Sheffield United to make a move for him and since he moved to the Blades he has helped them earn promotion to the Premier League.

In the first midfield spot on this list is David Norris, with the midfielder having enjoyed arguably the most outstanding campaign in terms of the personal form of anyone at the club in his position during the last ten years.

Norris only spent one season at Fratton Park, with the midfielder having been signed in the summer of 2011 after he had enjoyed an impressive season with Ipswich Town scoring 11 goals in all competitions. He made an immediate impact on his debut scoring during a 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough and swiftly became a crucial member of the side.

The midfielder in total managed to score eight goals in 40 appearances in the Championship for Portsmouth during the 2011/12 campaign. One of those placed him firmly in the club’s history with a stunning strike to earn them a point away at fierce rivals Southampton. Following Pompey’s relegation, he moved to Leeds United.

Coming in the other midfielder slot in this side is Michael Doyle, with him having been an exceptional performer for Pompey under Cook and makes this team as a result.

Doyle was signed by Cook in the summer of 2015 as part of the rebuilding of the squad and the midfielder swiftly became an integral part of the side with his battling performances in the middle of the park. He managed to make 44 appearances in league Two in the 2015/16 campaign and scored two goals during that campaign as the club missed out on promotion.

The following campaign, Doyle was an ever-present and drove Pompey on throughout the season and inspired them to edge some tight matches at crucial periods. In doing so, the midfielder was able to help take Portsmouth to the League Two title and to promotion back to the third tier of English football.

Coming into the side on the right-hand side of the attacking three behind the striker is Jamal Lowe, with the forward having been an excellent performer for Portsmouth.

Lowe was able to help Portsmouth secure a return to League One and he managed to score four goals in 14 appearances in the 2016/17 season as they secured the title. The following campaign, he was able to prove himself to be a real threat in League One with his ability to drive at defences and create chances in the final third. He scored six goals and registered seven assists in 44 appearances.

The 2018/19 campaign saw Lowe become one of the standout performers in League One and he managed to score an impressive tally of 15 goals whilst also registering eight assists in 47 appearances. In the summer of 2019, the attacker was sold to Wigan Athletic and has since gone on to sign for Swansea City.

In the attacking midfield role in this side is Gary Roberts, who was another very impressive performer for Portsmouth during his spell with the club in the last decade.

Roberts was signed by Cook from his previous club Chesterfield in the summer of 2015 and he was unsurprisingly one of the key players in the side from a creative point of view in the final third. The attacker who played at times on the wing and also at number ten, was able to register eight goals and provide five assists during the 2015/16 campaign.

The following season, Roberts was an influential performer in the club’s promotion from League One with him managing to provide plenty of magic moments, scoring ten goals and providing a further six assists in 41 appearances. He then left in the summer for Wigan Athletic after Cook had also made the decision to swap Fratton Park for the same club.

Completing the players in the three behind the lone forward here is Jed Wallace, with his position in the side likely to be interchangeable with Lowe. He makes this list having been a strong performer during his time at Fratton park.

Wallace managed to make his breakthrough at Fratton Park during the 2012/13 campaign, with him managing to be an impressive performer when he featured despite the club’s relegation League One. The forward managed to score six goals during 23 appearances in all competitions. The following season, the winger managed to score seven goals in 44 games in League Two.

The attacker was even more impressive during the 2014/15 season, with Wallace managing to establish himself as one of the best players in League Two scoring 14 goals and producing six assists in 44 appearances. That was enough to attract the attentions of Wolves and in the summer of 2015, they made a permanent move for him. He has since gone on to sign for Millwall.

Rounding off this list in the starting line-up is David Nugent, who edges out Brett Pitman who himself deserves a mention for the 24 goals he scored in League One during the 2017/18 campaign. However, Nugent makes the team for his performances in the 2010/11 Championship season.

Nugent had been signed by Portsmouth from Preston in 2007 after a number of impressive seasons at Deepdale, but he never really managed to establish himself in Pompey’s starting line-up in the Premier League. However, following the club’s relegation from the top-flight in 2010, the forward was given the chance to lead the line and showcase his qualities.

In the 2010/11 season, Nugent managed to be an important performer for the club and he managed to score his first goal for Pompey since February 2009 against Leicester City. The forward went on to score 14 goals in all competitions that campaign and that was enough to earn him a move to Leicester in the summer of 2011.