Football club mocked after signing player who ‘can’t hold a pen the right way round’

Portsmouth’s proud unveiling of its latest signing, Ebou Adams from Derby County, prompted a flood of sarcastic comments after fans spotted a weird detail in the photo of him signing his contract

Portsmouth have landed a new midfielder that the club hopes can boost its results with “a huge amount of energy and athleticism in the middle of the park”.

But Ebou Adams from Derby County might also bring some new energy to the terraces. The club shared a photo of their new signing – and eagle-eyed social media users quickly spotted the pen he was holding appeared to be upside down.

A Blues fan who posts on X under the name ‘Pragmatic Frog’ has already drafted a special chant for the new signing, joking: “His name is Ebou. We signed him and then we realised he couldn’t hold a pen.”

While fans responded with enthusiasm at Portsmouth’s X account, there were plenty of mocking comments. One social media user joked: “Christ alive. Bloke can’t even hold a pen the right way up.”

Another said: “The pen.” While one wrote: “Sure he has definitely signed… and not just rubbed his name out?”

Despite the clanger on the signing-up snap, fans are hoping for a lot from Ebou Adams in a deal reported to be worth £500,000.

The 30-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Fratton Park to join the side that are currently 21st in the Championship. Adams joined the Rams in January 2024 and made 89 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals.

He previously made over 100 appearances for Forest Green Rovers and has also played for Leyton Orient, Ebbsfleet, and Cardiff.

Ebou has still been a regular in Derby’s side this year, playing in 23 of their 26 Championship games, the BBC reported.

“We’re delighted to get this deal over the line and bring in a proven Championship player,” said Blues boss John Mousinho. “He’s performed highly at this level over the past couple of seasons and is someone we’ve come up against a number of times.

“Ebou will provide a huge amount of energy and athleticism in the middle of the park and I’m looking forward to working with him. He was the club captain at Derby and has a lot of leadership qualities, so we feel that he’s a massive addition to the squad.”

BBC Radio Solent’s Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon forecast that Elou would bring some needed dynamism to a central midfield. “It’s a position where Pompey haven’t had a settled pairing for much of the season,” he said.

“He also brings experience of a successful Championship relegation battle with Derby last year,” he added. “In some ways it’s surprising they are willing to let him go.”

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