Peter Crouch sends message to Portsmouth FC after League One title win | OneFootball

Portsmouth were crowned League One champions on Tuesday evening following a dramatic evening of action at Fratton Park.

John Mousinho's side found themselves a goal down heading into the final seven minutes against Barnsley, but a penalty from Colby Bishop and Conor Shaughnessy's 89th minute winner sparked wild scenes on the South Coast.

Pompey's triumph concludes their 12-year exile from the Championship, moving eight points clear of Derby County with two games of the season remaining.

Peter Crouch congratulates Portsmouth on title victory

Upon confirmation of Portsmouth winning the title, a number of former players were quick to congratulate Mousinho's side on their achievement.

Former midfielder Pedro Mendes commented on Pompey's Instagram post following their triumph over Barnsley, with Peter Crouch also weighing in with words of congratulations.

The current TV pundit, who works for TNT Sports, enjoyed two spells with Portsmouth during his 21-year professional career, joining from Queens Park Rangers in 2001 before returning to Fratton Park for the 2008/09 season after a three-year spell with Liverpool.

Crouch scored 34 goals in 87 appearances for Pompey during his time at the club, and took to social media to congratulate the club on their recent success, spotting some familiar faces in the club's post from his time at Portsmouth.

Taking to Twitter, Crouch wrote, "Congratulations Pompey !! Great to see club legends Baz and Kev still in the thick of it !!"

Portsmouth's promotion is thoroughly deserved after a magnificent season

Despite only being confirmed as champions with two games of the season remaining, the writing has been on the wall for sometime for Portsmouth, with their impressive displays throughout the season worthy of a return to the Championship.

Having finished inside the League One play-off places in two of the last five seasons, Pompey have fallen short in recent years, with fans longing for a return to the division they so rightly belong.

And two defeats at the start of the year to Cheltenham Town and Leyton Orient threatened to derail another promotion campaign, but that has seemingly galvanised the squad to make their dream a reality, going 17 games unbeaten since.

Along with that, Fratton Park has been made a fortress this season, picking up 50 points from their 22 league games at home, with Pompey also managing to replicate that form away from the South Coast, holding the best record in the division, taking 44 points from their fixtures on the road.

A lot of credit also has to go down to Portsmouth's recruitment this season, targeting areas of the squad that fell way short during the 2022/23 campaign, with the likes of Will Norris, Jack Sparkes, Callum Lang and Conor Shaughnessy all playing a huge role in their title achievement.

But most of the plaudits will land at John Mousinho's feet. Since his arrival at the club midway through last season, the gradual progression has been evident to see, with many excited as what his first season in charge would hold after leading the club to an 11-game unbeaten run to end the season prior.

His first full season at Fratton Park has been a roaring success, with his achievements recognised last weekend as he was named the EFL's League One Manager of the Year, two days prior to leading Pompey to the title.

Wigan Athletic this weekend.