Whittingham steps up search for defender

Guy Whittingham today stepped up the hunt for the final piece in his Pompey jigsaw and declared: We have to have the right character.

The Blues are hunting for a defender to bolster to their ranks as the anticipation builds ahead of the League Two curtain-raiser against Oxford on Saturday.

That’s after talks broke down to bring Ricardo Rocha back to Fratton Park.

Rocha has now returned to Portugal, with his days with Pompey at a close.

Sam Sodje has been a player who has been on the backburner as an option for Whittingham throughout the summer.

The 34-year-old could now come back into the equation after making nine Blues appearances at the end of last season.

Pompey are exploring other avenues, however, with Whittingham and assistant manager Steve Allen using all of their contacts.

Their strategy has been to bring the average age of the squad down, although an exception was made for Rocha after his success with the club.

Whether the same would apply for Sodje remains to be seen, though.