Matt Clarke says swopping Ipswich for Pompey was the right move for his career.

The centre half has impressed again this season after following up last season's loan spell at Fratton with a permanent move from Portman Road.

The 20-year-old told the Sports Mail: ‘I needed games and needed to play football — that was what the initial loan was for. Obviously, Portsmouth liked what they saw and the deal with Webster was a good deal all round. For me, it didn’t feel like I was stepping down at all.

‘I needed games and needed to play football — that was what the initial loan was for. Obviously, Portsmouth liked what they saw and the deal with (Adam) Webster was a good deal all round. For me, it didn’t feel like I was stepping down at all.

‘I felt like I was doing what I needed to in getting games. I wasn’t going to play at Ipswich so it was important I went elsewhere. There are no regrets with that decision, of course not. When it first happened, emotions were running high. But now looking back, it was definitely the right call.

‘By becoming an established professional and playing a lot of games I now feel I have become a man — in footballing terms. There are plenty of pros out there not playing league football at the moment so to have made that step up is big.

‘It’s up to me to keep myself there and keep on pushing to improve. But it’s always nice to hear people saying nice things. I have now set myself a standard of performance and the goal is to maintain that and keep getting wins for the team.’

Clarke will be one of the first names on Paul Cook's teamsheet when Pompey host Leyton Orient on Saturday.

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