Canaries announce Portsmouth loan switch for defender Raggett

Portsmouth have signed Norwich City defender Sean Raggett on a season-long loan, as the imposing centre-back looks to recover from an injury-hit campaign.

The 25-year-old joins the League One side after Kenny Jackett's beaten play-off semi-finalists sold central defender Matt Clarke to Premier League side Brighton last week, in a deal reportedly worth up to £5million.

Raggett was due to spend last season on loan at Rotherham and did make 10 appearances for the Millers, who were eventually relegated to the third tier, but was hampered by two ankle injuries.

The first was picked up in September and he returned to the fold, after an operation, three months later, only to pick up another ankle injury in January which also eventually needed surgery and brought his loan to an end in March.

Raggett told Pompey's website: "It's been a really good few years for me and now I'm here, I'm really excited to get going.

"I've always been confident in my ability and it was my aim to work my way up the leagues, although it was perhaps surprising that it happened so quickly.

"Going to Norwich was a big jump and it's definitely improved me, even if I haven't played many games for them.

"This is obviously a massive football club and it doesn't really need selling. When I got talking to the manager I thought this was the place I wanted to come to.

"Nobody's got any right to play in the team, so I'm here to work hard and win my shirt. Hopefully I can do that.

"This is a big season for me and the aim is to get Pompey back in the Championship. It's a tough league and it's where we want to be."

Raggett was signed from Lincoln City in 2017 having helped the Imps earn promotion back to the Football League and famously reach the FA Cup quarter-finals as a non-league side, in a deal reportedly worth around £300,000.

He stayed with the Imps in League Two for the first half of 2017-18 but joined up with the Canaries for the second half and made two brief appearances as a substitute.

The former Gillingham trainee now enters the final year of his Norwich contract looking to get his career back on track, with City having the option of a further 12 months in his contract.

Raggett stands at around 6ft 6ins tall and offers an imposing aerial presence but it remains to be seen whether he has the passing ability that would be required to fit into the plans of City head coach Daniel Farke, particularly with his parent club now a Premier League team.

His loan exit leaves City with their four front-line centre-back options of Christoph Zimmermann, Ben Godfrey, Timm Klose and Grant Hanley, having also confirmed a permanent switch to Hannover for Marcel Franke yesterday.

Pompey boss Jackett worked with City's sporting director Stuart Webber for two seasons at Wolves, between 2013 and 2015, when the Canaries' chief was head of recruitment before moving on to Huddersfield.

Jackett told Pompey's website: "The additions of Sean and Paul Downing have strengthened our defensive options and give us good competition in that area.

"He's played all of his career as a left-side centre-half and is someone I've followed since his non-league days. We're delighted to bring him to Pompey and very much look forward to working with him next season.

"He's a very determined person and is just coming into his prime. He'll be looking at this as a big opportunity to progress."

Portsmouth won the FA Cup in 2008 but were relegated from the top flight in 2010 amid financial implosion and spent four seasons in League Two.

They were promoted in 2017 and finished fourth in League One last season, only to be beaten 1-0 on aggregate by Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals.

Sean Raggett in Championship loan action for Rotherham against Leeds last season Picture: Richard Sellers/PA - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images