In the latest instalment of Profit Players, we take a look at how Portsmouth found Jamal Lowe from Non League side Hampton & Richmond, before going on to sell him to Championship club Wigan Athletic for upwards of £2.5m.
Before joining Hampton & Richmond Borough, Jamal Lowe had spent 2015 bouncing around Non League after leaving Barnet, representing St. Albans City and Hemel Hempstead before joining the Beavers in the seventh tier, as per Transfermarkt.
However, he settled at the club and by January 2017 he was joining Portsmouth, as reported by BBC Sport, with the transfer being for a nominal fee.
Lowe improved and adapted during his time at Fratton Park: it took him 10 League Two games to get his first goal for the club, but he ended up with four in his last five, including the goals against Notts County that earned promotion to League One.
The winger then played 50 games in all competitions, scoring eight goals and assisting nine in 2017/18, before playing 55 games last season, scoring 17 goals and getting nine assists.
The highlight was undoubtedly his magical goal at Wembley, where he dinked the ball over Jon McLaughlin in the Checkatrade Trophy final, as shown on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel, having previously passed the stadium many times without ever getting to go in, as reported by The Guardian.
This summer, the 25-year-old made his wish to leave the club clear following confirmed interest from Championship clubs, which was eventually granted, as he moved to Wigan Athletic for upwards of £2.5m, as reported by The News Portsmouth.
While there will have been disappointment at seeing Lowe leave, both the club and player have done incredibly well out of the original transfer: Lowe got a platform that has helped him reach the Championship, while Portsmouth were helped to League One and got a sizeable fee from the eventual sale.
Just how good a deal was Lowe? Join the discussion by commenting below…
