Loan rangers have got point to prove to Bruce

ANDRE Green insists he’s out to prove he’s a ‘ good player’ at Portsmouth after leaving Villa on loan.

The 20-year-old winger was allowed to go to Fratton Park last month after Steve Bruce snapped up wide players Anwar El Ghazi and Yannick Bolasie on loan from Lille and Everton respectively.

Green linked up with Pompey in League One and has already been selected twice by Kenny Jackett. Now he is out to show his worth on the south coast.

He said: “First of all, I need to prove I’m a good player. I have to prove my worth on the left before I go more central and create. As I get more comfortable and more trust off the boys the understanding will come.

“I want to be able to add some extra pace to the team. I want to use it to get into an area where I can cause problems.

“It’s a good option to have that. Pace in the team is a problem for any other team. We’ve got a young bunch here so I knew I’d fit in.

“Because the boys are so young everything is energetic. It’s sharp and short. You need to think more and be mentally sharp as well. That’s what I enjoy.”

Green is one of several Villa youngsters out on loan, another of whom, Mitchell Clark, has revealed how his first-team frustrations led to him leaving.

Clark was one of 10 rookies included on Villa’s pre-season training camp in Portugal and fea- tured in friendlies and Burton.

Bruce has name-checked him a couple of times when discussing the club’s starlets and the defender impressed on his first-team debut against Wigan last season.

Despite excelling with the seniors in pre-season, the 19-year-old quickly dropped back down to the under-23s. against Telford

After learning he wouldn’t feature in Bruce’s first-team plans, Clark linked up with Port Vale and is now thriving in the competitive environment of men’s football.

He said: “It’s very frustrating but that’s just part of football. I made my debut in the Cup last year and I thought I did really well.

“I was offered a new contract and then just when I thought I was pro- gressing with the first team in the summer I was put back down to the 23s. When I got told I was going on pre-season with the Under-23s and 18s to Denmark, that was a dip for me. But I heard Port Vale were interested in taking me on loan.

“I didn’t have any second thoughts because I just wanted to get out to play. I knew it was important to play men’s football.”