FORMER Pompey favourite Guy Whittingham can't wait to see Portsmouth playing in the Premiership next season.

Whittingham, the PFA regional coach for the south west, spent over six years in two spells with the south coast club after buying himself out of the Army for £400 in June 1989.

And he is as sure as any die-hard Pompey fan can be that his favourites will be entertaining Arsenal, Manchester United and the rest of the Premiership big-hitters next season.

"You learn not to be too optimistic when you support Portsmouth," said Whittingham, 38. "But it's hard to see them slipping up. They only have to collect an average number of points from now on to make sure.

"The chairman has got things set up as he wants and the team have made an incredible start.

"But they wouldn't be where they are now without Harry Redknapp.

"Only Harry could persuade the quality of players he has brought in to sign for a First Division club.

"Will they survive in the Premiership? It will be tough. Portsmouth are a fair-sized Division 1 club with tremendous fans who fill the place week in and week out at the first whiff of success.

"But the Premiership is another world. At first, they will be one of the smaller clubs and they will need a lot of financial backing to stay there."

Sadly for Whittingham, the entire length of the First Division currently separates Pompey and his second footballing love, Sheffield Wednesday, where he played alongside artists like Chris Waddle, Benito Carbone, Des Walker, Paolo di Canio and John Sheridan.

"It's horrible to see Wednesday in this position," said the Newport Isle of Wight striker. "After Portsmouth, they are always the first result I look for.

"We had a great group of players, a combination of really skilful performers and battlers. And we all worked for one another.

"It's incredible to see how the club has slumped and it is down to bad management from the top.

"People might blame the collapse of ITV Digital but the slump at Hillsborough started long before that."