Nevertheless, he persevered through the injury to finish that Oxford game, helping John Mousinho’s team win 2-1 thanks to a goal from replacement Christian Saydee.
The left-back missed three games and spent the following two weeks in the treatment room, but in that one game against the U’s, he placed the team’s needs ahead of his own misery.
Ogilvie is a great match for Pompey and, having signed a new two-year contract on Saturday, he may end up being one of this summer’s biggest signings.
Remarkably, Danny Cowley and now Mousinho choose the Gillingham free agent in August 2021 without hesitation.
After winning the League One title, the Blues immediately tried to retain just two of the 14 players who were out of contract: Ogilvie and captain Marlon Pack.
The adaptable defender has eight goals and 117 games played in his first three years on the south coast, which speaks to how highly regarded he is at Fratton Park.
A manager’s dream, he made his Blues debut at Fleetwood in August 2021, setting the tone when Ogilvie was used in the center of midfield instead of Shaun Williams due to a warm-up injury.
After winning 1-0 on the first day, Cowley’s team has gone on to show off the versatility of the former Gillingham favorite as left-back, right-back, left-sided center-half, and in a back three.
It’s true that, in contrast to Jack Sparkes, he is a more defensive full-back rather than a daring raider down the flanks.
In fact, Mousinho has frequently mentioned wanting to give Ogilvie’s game a stronger attacking edge. This was seen on the last day of the 2022–23 season when he had a chance to score a hat-trick against Wycombe.
However, he is still a very dedicated and extremely trustworthy player, and it was no accident that a stagnant Pompey was revived upon his return from ankle ligament damage in January.
With just five points from six league games around Christmas, including heartbreaking losses at Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham before losing at home to Leyton Orient, the League One leaders were in serious danger.
After returning to full fitness for the next encounter, Ogilvie started from the bench in a 1-0 win against Fleetwood. The Blues went on to win the title by losing just one of their final 19 games, of which he was a part of 15.
Cowley gave an explanation for why he signed the defender three years prior in an interview with The News last month.
For us, Connor was an obvious choice. There is always a risk when signing someone, but we never felt that way about him. An really prudent addition to the soccer team.
He is an exceptional professional who is incredibly dependable and truly underappreciated as a player. You can very much count on him to be consistent when you talk to him on Saturdays, so you don’t really need to talk to him Monday through Friday. To be honest, I love him.
Your life would be incredibly simple if everyone was as laid back as Connor was. High output, low upkeep.
Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes share the same opinion, which is why it’s urgent to sign him to a new Fratton Park. Ten players have also been released, and it was decided not to exercise the 12-month options on Joe Morrell and Zak Swanson.
Ogilvie, who began his career in League One and League Two, is considered by Pompey’s head coach as a player capable of making the transition to the Championship at the age of 28. Sentiment never played a role.
It has to be seen if he is a consistent starter going forward, as it is likely that this summer the left-back position will be reinforced, maybe with a younger, more aggressive prospect.
Nevertheless, Ogilvie will risk everything for the Pompey cause for another two years, injury permitting. The perfect summer addition and the quintessential team member.
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