PACK’S SIGHTS SET ON GOING UP
MARLON PACK wants a Championship return – and is convinced Pompey are equipped to secure him an instant comeback.
The central midfielder has spent the past seven seasons in the Championship with Bristol City and Cardiff, amassing 267 appearances and 13 goals.
Yet, aged 31, he has been tempted to drop into League One with his boyhood club.
Despite interest from the Championship for the free agent, Pack was attracted by Danny Cowley’s ambition to drag the Blues out of their League One malaise.
And irrespective of his Pompey affection, the Bucklands boy is adamant he wouldn’t have rejoined had he not been convinced by their promotion credentials.
Pack told The News: ‘I definitely wanted an ambitious club.
‘I feel I still should be a Championship player. You have to hold yourself in high regard, so I want to get back to the Championship.
‘For me, the opportunity to do that is getting promoted with a good League One team. There was never an issue dropping down a league. If it was the right club, there’d be no problem.
‘With Pompey, it’s going to be tough. There’s going to be expectation because of the size of the club and what it has achieved in previous years.
‘But there has to be promotion, otherwise there’s no pointbeinghere.Thatwasthe reason I signed, I want to get promoted.
‘You can’t guarantee it, but can definitely ensure we make a good damn job of trying.
‘I can deflect the question (of promotion) a bit, but, ultimately, every season, ever since the club has been in
League One, that will always be the aim. It has to be.
‘A packed Fratton Park is a tough place to go. We know that, and we have to use that to our advantage, while the travelling support is always big in numbers. If we can get it right, we’ll have a real opportunity.
‘You have always got to look to improve on last year. We need a vast improvement on 10th. I know the end of the season was quite positive, so we can build on that.
‘The Championship has to betheambition.I’veplayedthe majority of my career there, I want to get back there – and there’s no better way than to achieve that with Pompey.’