Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley is happy to count on Manchester City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu this season.

Cowley has been forced to defend his on-loan keeper in the media in recent weeks, yet the support Bazunu is getting from his temporary boss is complete.

"Gavin's a top kid, he's going to be a top player," declares the Portsmouth manager. "He loves his football, it means a lot to him, but he probably has the strongest mentality out of everyone in the group, so he will come through.

"He's a top goalkeeper and has been excellent for us. Yes he has made some mistakes, but that is the life of a keeper."

Bazunu's mistakes have been compensated by some high quality performances as he looks to back up a Portsmouth defence that have left him exposed at times and he is relishing the challenge in League One.

"You've got to put mistakes behind you straight away and can't let it affect your performance for the rest of the game," says Bazunu. "Afterwards you look at the videos, so you can recognise where you went wrong and try to improve on that.

"I've got a lot of trust in the way this manager does things here and am grateful for the trust that has in me.

"Part of the reason why you come out on loan in the first place is to learn from any mistakes that you make. There's absolutely no point dwelling on the past. You have to concentrate on the present and the next game.

"To get to the top level, that's the approach you need. You can't afford to let one mistake become several.

"Those who put it behind them and go on to have a perfect game are showing why they play at an elite level."