Franco Umeh is determined to make his mark in senior English football after completing his move to Portsmouth from Crystal Palace on deadline day.
The 20-year-old striker, who caught attention whilst breaking through at Cork City as a teenager before excelling with Crystal Palace’s under-21s, was amongst four new signings who arrived at Fratton Park on the final day of the transfer window, alongside Josef Bursik, Makenzie Kirk and Conor Chaplin.
With Portsmouth FC looking to strengthen following their Championship survival last term, Umeh is eager to embrace the challenge ahead.
The forward revealed: “I believe they observed several of my matches last season, though I heard nothing further at the time.
“When I discovered they were keen to secure my signature, it felt fantastic to finally be here – I’ve been informed about the atmosphere at Fratton Park.
“I’m prepared to progress to the next level and whilst I understand the Championship will present different challenges, I’m ready to face them.”
The manager presented Umeh with footage demonstrating the team’s style and his potential role, which the striker found encouraging.
“I enjoyed my spell at Crystal Palace tremendously – I gained valuable experience and grew as a player. It was completely different from my time at Cork.
“However, I’m now prepared to advance and although I recognise the Championship will be a step up, I’m ready for the challenge.
“I don’t know any of the lads personally yet, so I’ve been looking forward to meeting everyone and I’m excited to get started.”
Umeh has represented the Republic of Ireland across various youth levels and earned his first under-21 cap earlier this year.
He added: “I cherish representing my country during international duty and hope to continue doing so.”
