Former Portsmouth defender Christian Burgess has suffered defeat in his first game for new club Union Saint-Gilloise.

Prior to Pompey's play-off defeat to Oxford United, central defender Burgess had already agreed a move to Belgium side Union SG, seeing his five-year spell at Fratton Park come to an end.

The 28-year-old made 32 appearances for Kenny Jackett's side during the 2019/20 campaign, ending it with League One play-off semi-final heartbreak against Oxford. Despite that disappointment, Burgess won the Player of the Year award at the club prior to his exit.

Featuring in his first game for his new club, Burgess started the pre-season friendly with Crossing Schaerbeek on the substitutes' bench before coming on later in the match, which his team lost 1-0 as they began pre-season with defeat.

They will seek promotion from the Belgian second tier in the 2020/21 season, having been in fourth position when the 2019/20 campaign was brought to a premature end.

Burgess is not the only English person at the club, which is owned by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom.

Burgess is straight back in to football after finishing up with Portsmouth and he faces a slightly similar challenge in Belgium.

His absence from Pompey will be hard hitting, especially if Kenny Jackett can't find a decent replacement for a man whose individual award for the 2019/20 season illustrates how important he was at Fratton Park.

Do you think Portsmouth will miss Burgess? Let us know in the comments section below...