Revealing insight into how ex-Sunderland defender Denver Hume is doing at Portsmouth

The 23-year-old brought a 13-year long association with the Black Cats to an end during the last transfer window having struggled to secure regular football due to injury and then the form of Dennis Cirkin.

And now the Pompey boss has revealed his plans for Hume on the south coast.

Cowley told the Portsmouth News: “He’s a young player we see as the future of this football club and, as with all young players, there are areas of their game you’re trying to develop and trying to set them up to have success.

“We love Denver’s athleticism, his speed on the attack, he is very good in a one-v-one moment, his combination play is very, very good.

“There are still areas of his game we are working on defensively with him. Like a lot of our young players, there are always adds-on we try to develop.

“It was always long-term with Denver. With a lot of our young players, we are signing them for the future.

“It’s very hard for Portsmouth Football Club to sign young players that are instantly ready to come into the team because you need significant money to do that. Normally those young players are only available on loan.

“So with the young players we do sign permanently, we tend to have to develop them to be in a position to play in the team.

“Don’t get me wrong, Denver is ready to play now and he has played some games now. We’re certainly hopeful he will play on Saturday, he would have played on at Bolton but for his back injury.

“He was excellent at Shrewsbury in February, putting in 26 crosses that night, but we are definitely looking at next season."

Sunderland are battling for promotion from League One this season and travel to play-off rivals Oxford United on Saturday afternoon.

Sunderland, who slipped out of the play-offs in midweek, beat Gillingham at the Stadium of Light last time out.