Portsmouth manager John Mousinho praised Chelsea loanee Ryan Kavuma-McQueen for his strong display in their narrow win over Sheffield United.
Kavuma-McQueen made his sixth start for Championship side Portsmouth on Wednesday and did not disappoint the Fratton Park crowd.
The teenager, who is on a season-long loan with Pompey, caused a lot of problems for Sheffield United’s defence from the left flank.
He completed the most dribbles (4), had the most touches (11) in the opposition box, and took the most shots (7). He did not manage to find the net, unfortunately, but he still provided the assist for Portsmouth’s second goal.
Receiving the ball in the wide area, Kavuma-McQueen glided past his defender before finding Adrian Segecic inside the six-yard box for a tap-in.
Ryan's assist. 🪄
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) October 15, 2026
Sega's finish. 🔥#Pompey's second. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/xAfVWFqFwm
It is also worth noting that it was Kavuma-McQueen's ability to drive with the ball that led to Sheffield United full-back Hamza Choudhury's second yellow card.
Pompey boss Mousinho was clearly impressed by the young winger’s performance, who completed his first 90-minute game for the club.
“I don’t want to get carried away - I thought he was awesome tonight,” Mousinho told Portsmouth’s in-house media after the Sheffield United win.
“The kid’s 17. He was subbed off at half-time (against Southampton on Sunday), a disappointing weekend for him, and he showed away for everyone tonight.
“I thought he was a joy to watch. He worked his socks off, which I thought was a big step forward for him. His work rate’s great, but sometimes it’s just (his) understanding of the press- understanding when he needs to track (could do some work).
“You can see the threat that he is. I wouldn’t like to play against him back in my day. We just have got to keep giving him the ball.
“He’s going to have those highs, like today and against Blackburn. He’s going to have some days where he’s off, because he’s 17. That’s fine, so I was really pleased that he bounced back brilliantly today.”
A superb start to loan spell for Kavuma-McQueen
Kavuma-McQueen was part of Chelsea’s pre-season squad for the tour of Australia and Asia under Xabi Alonso in the summer, before making the loan switch to Portsmouth for his first senior season.
He has featured in all of Portsmouth’s nine Championship matches, six of which as a starter, and provided a goal and two assists.
This is partly thanks to his brave decision to continue playing through two fractures in his right hand that he sustained in early September.
Opting against surgery, he decided to play with a splint for a couple of months. This has allowed him to maintain the momentum he had.
It is very clear what he offers when he has the ball at his feet, but it is very positive to hear from the Portsmouth manager that the young winger has also improved his off-the-ball game.
He is getting opportunities to play and is allowed to learn from mistakes on the pitch, which is exactly what Chelsea would hope for from his loan spell.
Having made his senior Chelsea debut in the FA Cup win over Port Vale back in March, there are high expectations that Kavuma-McQueen could return and play a big role for the Blues in the future.