Former Lincoln City and Wigan Athletic winger Anthony Scully has returned to parent club, Championship strugglers Portsmouth after an injury plagued spell with Danny Cowley’s Colchester United in League Two.
The Irishman has struggled for consistent gametime since he departed Sincil Bank at the beginning of the 22/23 season. He has only amassed 23 appearances across all competitions since linking up with Wigan Athletic and was only able to score once, in an EFL Trophy fixture against MK Dons in September.
After regaining fitness towards the end of last season for Portsmouth, it was hoped that he would be able to regain some of his magic from his time with the Imps by playing in a lower division. However, further injury issues, including his latest ankle injury have limited his impact for Danny Cowley’s side as they struggle towards the bottom of League Two. He departs, according to Gazette News, with just nine appearances and one goal, with a total of 386 minutes.
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What can Portsmouth do with Anthony Scully now?
For Portsmouth, it is likely they attempted to sell the player in the summer window, and with less than a year left on his contract it would be a miracle if he somehow earned a new deal between now and the end of the season. So they have two options, allow him to recover at the club for the remainder of his contractual time with them, or pay off his deal and allow him to move on elsewhere.
With his recent record it is incredibly unlikely that any club would offer him a spot in their squad without a proper trial, so to allow him to regain his fitness, then go and training with a club for a period of time in the hope of earning a deal is more than likely the best he can hope for in his current situation.
At just 25, he should be entering his prime, but as for many footballers his body seems to not be allowing him.
It would appear as though the Imps sold him at the perfect time, and a return to Sincil Bank is unlikely after they took a risk on former player Tyler Walker which has yet to pay off after very similar problems.