EX-SAINTS winger Lloyd Isgrove has joined Portsmouth on loan from League One promotion rivals Barnsley.

The 26-year-old, who was capped once by Wales in 2016, will stay at Fratton Park until the end of the season.

Born in Yeovil, Isgrove joined Saints as a nine-year-old and made his first-team bow a decade later when, in the third year of his scholarship, he went on as a substitute for Steve De Ridder in the quarter-final of the Capital One Cup at Leeds.

He got his first start for the club the following August against Barnsley in the League Cup and made his league debut in 2014/15 at Liverpool, playing the last eight minutes in place of Steven Davis.

Isgrove was released by Saints at the end of the 2016/17 and signed permanently for Barnsley following a successful loan spell.

But he hasn’t featured for the Reds since going on as a substitute against Portsmouth in December’s 1-1 draw at Oakwell.

Welcoming Isgrove to Fratton Park, Pompey boss Kenny Jackett said:

"He has got very good technique, can trouble defenders and is comfortable being used on either wing."

Barnsley's chief executive Gauthier Ganaye explained: "Lloyd only has six months left on his contract and he isn’t featuring in the current plans, so both the club and the player were happy to find a new club for him.

"We are happy to see him head back to an area he is from to be near his family.”