'You never know' - Former Fratton favourite makes Portsmouth Premier League claim as Blues close in on League One title

Former Fratton Park favourite Jamie O’Hara can see Pompey back in the Premier League very soon.

The ex-midfielder, who enjoyed a successful loan stint on the south coast during the Blues’ 2009-10 top-flight season, is confident a return to the promised land is a realistic ambition for the current League One leaders.

O’Hara believes the winning mentality that is currently streaming through John Mousinho’s squad right now would be a huge asset in the Championship next season. And, coupled with the progress that has been seen at Fratton Park under sporting director Rich Hughes, the 37-year-old insists there’s no reason why Pompey can’t follow Luton’s lead and find themselves competing in the Premier League in the near future.

The Blues spent seven seasons in the top tier of English football between 2003 and 2010. When there, the Fratton Park outfit recorded two top-10 finishes before financial issues saw them relegated at the end of the 2009-10 campaign.

O’Hara was a key figure for Pompey that season while on loan from Spurs. He featured 25 times in the league and helped the Blues to the 2010 FA Cup final. The former Wolves player still has fond memories of his time on the south coast - and believes the club has all the ingredients needed to not only awake from their League One slumber but also to turn any Premier League dreams into reality.

The talkSPORT radio host told Grosvenor Sport: ‘You never know – Portsmouth could find themselves back in the Premier League in the next few years. Teams can have crazy seasons, much like Luton did last year. If you find a way to get results and wins on the board in the Championship, you can find yourself in a good position with how often fixtures come around.

 ‘If Portsmouth can get into the Championship, keep building, and have some structure like they have now, then they will have that winning mentality and the sky would be the limit for them. Fair play to them by the way – it is very difficult to get out of League One. You see a lot of big teams end up in there and find it difficult to get back up, so I have a lot of respect for them and I’ll hopefully be down there to watch a game soon for sure!

 ‘If the club win League One, then they’ll be able to use that momentum for the next 12 months and hopefully more, because the players will have experienced that winning feeling. The question is, will the current players have enough in the tank to go again next season? I could see it!’

League leaders Pompey currently sit five points clear of second-placed Derby County and nine clear of Bolton, who are in third. Mousinho’s side have seven games remaining and return to action today after the international break with a trip to Wycombe. At present, the Blues require 14 points to secure the League One title and 13 points to book automatic promotion.