SHOOT for the Stars: Portsmouth’s Jamal Lowe

Here at Shoot! we endeavour to keep a watchful eye over the emerging talents in world football and keep you in the know in terms of who you should be watching out for in the years to come.

Having already showcased the talent of Darnell Johnson, who is on the books of defending Premier League champions Leicester City, today our attention turns to the South Coast. Specifically, Portsmouth.

One of Pompey’s latest recruits is 22-year-old Jamal Lowe, who signed his contract back in October and has now been able to move south from Hampton & Richmond as a result of the transfer window opening.

He, along with fellow January signing Nicke Kabamba, have already shown their worth after helping the Blues to a 4-0 Premier League Cup victory over Norwich on Monday.

A hat-trick from Lowe, combined with a strike from Kabamba, were enough to secure a relatively youthful side the victory.

Watch @JamzLowe‘s hat-trick for @officialpompey last night pic.twitter.com/EliMqVDMv1

— AtTheMatch (@AtTheMatch) January 24, 2017

Lowe made his Pompey debut two weeks ago, coming off the bench in what was a 2-1 win over Leyton Orient, looking lively with bursts of pace throughout the second half.

It appeared likely that his second appearance in a Blues shirt would come last week against Crawley Town, however a frozen pitch meant that the game couldn’t go ahead and was called off shortly after 9:00am on Saturday morning.

Nevertheless, Portsmouth fans are eager to see what the forward has to offer after earning a transfer to one of League Two’s biggest clubs.

Lowe started his career at Barnet (Below), coming through the youth ranks and eventually turning professional in 2012, after scoring 19 goals for the Bees’ Under-18s side that year.

His senior debut came in August, coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 loss to York City at Underhill, while the six-foot talisman was soon handed his first start against Bradford City.

In December 2012, Lowe was loaned out to Hayes & Yeading, before joining fellow North London outfit Boreham Wood the following February in order to gain experience.

The 2013-14 campaign was a tough one for Lowe, who found himself loaned out again, firstly to Hitchin Town, then St. Albans and finally Farnbrough, who he saw out the season with.

Photo: Mark Leech / Offside.

A permanent move to Hampton & Richmond, after a second spell at St. Albans and a permanent move to Hemel Hempstead, came about in 2015 and it was here that Lowe really made his mark in the one-and-a-half years he spent there.

He managed 29 goals in 48 appearances across both the Isthmian Premier Division and National League South, after the Beavers gained promotion in 2016.

Lowe’s consistent and impressive form did not go unnoticed by Pompey manager Paul Cook, putting pen to paper towards the end of last year.

At just 22, Blues fans will be hoping he can emulate such success in the hunt for promotion to League One this term.