Jamal Lowe has not had the most straightforward career. So, when he says, “At the end of the day, you can have a lot of money and live a miserable life”, it carries more weight than it might from one of those young players suspected of being overpaid and overindulged.

The 24-year-old is in the goals and leading Portsmouth’s promotion charge as League One pacesetters. Yet the striker has not benefited from coming through an academy or being scouted as a youngster. Instead, his CV includes spells at eight non-League clubs in five years before Portsmouth finally gave him a chance. He possesses an appreciation for the path trodden.

“I am a bit of a journeyman. I had so many clubs, I could never really hold one down for long enough to be able to establish myself until I went to Hampton & Richmond and steadied myself a little bit,” he said.

“From there I came to Portsmouth and managed to do the same. There were definitely times where I was looking to pack it in and drop out of the game. It was getting harder and teams were just sacking you off after a couple of months. You're thinking: 'Where is my team going to be?'”