Sol Campbell is full of praise for Portsmouth's January signings.

The England defender told The News: "Lassana Diarra is fantastic, he's young and hungry, and it's a great chance. Jermain Defoe is out there, he's proven, he's sharp and it's all coming together for him.

"They are two great signings really. Diarra has made a massive impact but I think the main thing is he is hungry. He's young and wants to prove a point. He's in the national side as well, that's fantastic. You watch him out there and he's got great control. He's got a lot of drive about him, a great attitude as well so he's got all the elements really.

"It's fantastic to have him there. He's young but he's proven. He's in there amongst the best in the French team. Week in, week out, you know what you are going to get from him. It's just sustaining it and keeping it going.

"As for Jermain, he's lively, he can go left or right and if you are on your heels he's going to go the other way. He knows where the goal is and doesn't need much backlift to get a shot in, that makes it difficult for defenders because he's not going to take too long to pull the trigger.

"He's lively in the box too and that what's you need. With Jermain, Milan, Kanu, Niko and even John Utaka coming in as well, we've got a lot of players who can open up teams and know where the goal is."