Far North phenom signs for Portsmouth

Portsmouth have agreed a deal to sign Brisbane Roar striker for a fee of over £200k.

Thomas Waddingham of the Roar celebrates scoring a goal during the round six A-League Men match between Macarthur FC and Brisbane Roar at Campbelltown Stadium, on November 30, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Portsmouth have agreed a deal to sign Brisbane Roar striker Thomas Waddingham for a fee of over £200k ($393,021 AUD).

The Cairns-born phenom will fly out to England on Thursday to join the Championship side.

The Blues fought off strong interest from rivals Queens Park Rangers, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday for the Australian Under-23’s signature.

QPR were closest in the race for the 19-year-old, while French Ligue 2 side FC Metz also registered interest.

Thomas’s father and former Edge Hill United president, Glen Waddingham, said the Portsmouth manager John Mousinho was a key factor in choosing the Blues.

“ (Mousinho) really resonated with us coming from a small town,” he said.

“We felt the personal touch there, we liked their plan and the effort they put in to get Thomas to the club.”

“They picked out his strengths and weaknesses, it encouraged Thomas to go to (Portsmouth) because they told him how they are going to assist his development. It was about helping him take the next step, working on his weaknesses and continuing to grow.”

Thomas Waddingham (L) of Brisbane Roar celebrates after scoring a goal during the Australia Cup football final match between Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar FC at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on October 7, 2023. (Photo by Izhar KHAN / AFP)

The clinical finisher will now join fellow Australians Jacob Farrell and Kusini Yengi at the Championship club.

He will not be loaned out in January.

Instead, he will have an opportunity to break into the side this season.

An exceptional talent, the forward is a precise scorer who uses his physical stature to have a dominant aerial presence, while he has become a pressing machine in recent years.

The former Edge Hill Tigers junior rose through the ranks in the FQPL Far North competition, before joining the Brisbane Roar academy in 2021.

The versatile forward broke into the first team in 2023 and has four goals in 11 appearances this season in the A League.

Thomas Waddingham said he was tremendously thankful for the opportunity to join the Roar as a 15-year-old and the development pathway through the youth ranks, NPL and A League.

He cited coaches Owen Baker, Jason Tobin, Ross Aloisi and Ruben Zadkovich as pivotal influences.

Glen Waddingham said he was proud to see his son join a prestigious European side.

“He always had something special when he first started playing as a three-year-old at Tiger Park,” Glen Waddingham said.

“He was fortunate to grow up with teammates who loved football and would just play for hours and hours. We would be at the grounds from midday on a Saturday through to 10 o’clock at night.

“You do need a lot of luck and a number of things to go your way to get there. We’re fortunate Tom’s been able to make that next step.”

Thomas Waddingham of Brisbane Roar celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the 2023 Australia Cup Final match between Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar FC at Allianz Stadium on October 07, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Waddingham will be joined abroad by older sister and fellow footballer Molly Waddingham.

As an under-21 player he will not count towards Portsmouth’s 25-man squad limit.

So far in the January transfer window, the Blues have signed defender Rob Atkinson and Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden on loan.

From Edge Hill United to the proud English club Portsmouth, Waddingham’s journey serves as a powerful inspiration for rising Queensland footballers.

Originally published as Far North phenom signs for Portsmouth