He’s scored in the east Lancashire derby for Burnley and in the Merseyside derby for Liverpool, but when asked what a winner at Fratton Park would mean to him, the wry smile is worth a thousand words.
It is little wonder that it carries extra weight for the Southampton-born forward who has been inundated with reminders that this is the one to win.
“It would be huge to score the winner. It would be huge for me and my family and my friends. I go into that game if I do play as the other lads do which is to win the game first and foremost, but to get a goal would be incredible for me.
“Derby games are the best games for us as footballers. You know how intense it can be, there’s a lot more pressure on the game and the atmosphere is a lot louder.
“The game itself is always more competitive so it’s really exciting for us and for the club.
“I’ve been very lucky to play in some big derby games in my career so far so when I saw the draw, it’s going to be massive. Being from Southampton as well it’s an even bigger moment for me.”
His winning goal against Blackburn in 2014 secured Burnley’s first success in that particular derby since 1979 and, naturally, it is still talked about fondly in that region.
So what are the keys to winning one of these games?
“It’s going to take big personality to win it. They’re going to be really, really up for it as it’s been a while since Southampton played Portsmouth.
“It’s important that we all stand up together and get the job done. It’s been a long time since we played Portsmouth so it’s going to be a massive game and one that hopefully we’re going to come out on top in.
“I think we need to approach it like we do every game in the Premier League. We can’t go into it overthinking the situation and the pressure around it.
“It’s important we focus on what’s important and that is winning the game at all costs.”
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