Johnson's debt to Pompey

While no-one can begrudge Glen Johnson his move back into the top four, his exit marks a sad day for Pompey.

He was the team's best player by a country mile last season and provided fans with quality few thought they would ever witness at Fratton Park.

He is the best right-back in the country and the Blues will be significantly poorer without him.

His departure to Liverpool marks the official end of what will go down as a glorious period in Pompey's history.

Sol Campbell, Kanu and David James all remain from the giddy times of the FA Cup win and the European adventure, but they are aging stars whose returns will inevitably iminish.

Johnson is young, brilliant and yet to peak.

Sylvain Distin and Peter Crouch will rightfully feel they have plenty more to offer the game but they, too, could follow the right-back out of Fratton Park.

Of course, it may not be all doom and gloom. Far from it. If Sulaiman Al Fahim's takeover is completed and the money forthcoming, this could be the start of another wonderful period at Pompey.

Sadly, it will not feature Johnson.

He does, though, have a lot to thank Pompey for during his Anfield press conference.

Overawed by the responsibility of playing for Chelsea so young, his game failed to develop.

An up-and-down loan spell with former mentor Harry Redknapp followed and there were calls from Pompey fans to send him back to Chelsea.

Thankfully, that did not happen and Johnson got the backing and the regular football he craved on the south coast.

The result: he grew in confidence and married his natural attacking flair with a new-found defensive steel and concentration. The perfect package.

In truth, he's outgrown Pompey and he'll see it as the right time to return to the upper echelons of the Premier League.

Pompey, though, played their part in moulding a player who should be England's right-back for years to come.

The Blues army should be grateful for his quality service.
But Johnson owes much to the club who got him back on his feet.