Off Topic Portsmouth FC Statement: Kenny Jackett

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Portsmouth Football Club can advise that, with effect from this Thursday (February 18), Kenny Jackett will not be in attendance at matches or training sessions following a medical procedure that will require a short period of rest and recuperation.

Assistant manager Joe Gallen will operate in a caretaker capacity during this time and will be assisted by first team coach Jake Wigley.

Kenny will remain in constant contact with them both, while also able to speak to the players via video link before and after games, as well as at half-time.

 

Assistant Joe Gallen and first-team coach Jake Wigley will take over the reins, although Kenny Jackett intends to remain involved in team selection.

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In addition, the call has gone out to Nigel Gibbs – a former Watford team-mate of the Blues manager. The 55-year-old made almost 500 appearances for his only club, before establishing a distinguished career in coaching.

Gibbs has worked at the Hornets, Reading, Leeds, Millwall, Swansea, Cercle Brugge and Spurs’ under-19s.

Now he has agreed to stand in for Jackett on a short-term basis. Jackett said: ‘Nigel will be in and around the training ground at the back end of this week.

"He will help us with his coaching ability and overall experience, however long that is. There is no defined time on that obviously, but he will be in and around the training ground this week. I’m pleased to have somebody with a lot of coaching ability but also a lot of experience.

He has been an assistant manager, while was a caretaker boss at Watford in the Premier League, and is arriving to help Joe."

Until this month, Gibbs was assistant manager at Belgian side Cercle Brugge.

He left the top-flight side when boss Paul Clement was dismissed, with the club struggling against relegation.

As a player, Gibbs played almost 20 years for Watford after making his debut in November 1983.

He made 491 appearances, scoring seven times, before his final appearance in April 2002. During his time at Vicarage Road, Gibbs was a team-mate of Jackett for seven seasons.