Etuhu in Appleton's plans

Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton is planning to build next season's squad around youngsters, with Kelvin Etuhu firmly in his plans.

The former Manchester City starlet, who joined relegated Pompey in January, will become a key player for the club in League One next term, with the likes of Greg Halford, Joel Ward, David Norris and Luke Varney set to leave this summer in a bid to balance the books. Appleton believes he can get the best out of the controversial 23-year-old. Etuhu was jailed last year for an assault outside a Manchester casino. "He's a good possibility, especially when you look at the age and the football he missed because of what happened. He's a good one to keep around," said Appleton. "Maybe I will be able to deal with him differently to the way other managers do. You back yourself to deal with them differently."