Another 2010 summer signing saw John Mousinho swap Wycombe Wanderers for Stevenage after deciding to turn down a new contract at Adams Park; the defensive midfielder opting to team up with Graham Westley instead. The dynamic player more than proved his worth at the Lamex Stadium, scoring some vital goals too. None of them were more important than the strike at Old Trafford that earned Boro’ promotion to League One and carved his name into the club’s history books.
So great was the impression he had that we even went back and brought him in on loan from Preston North End in 2014 – the club he’d left us for two years before.
John Mousinho: Before Boro’
Having been farmed out on loan during his three-year stint with Brentford, Mousinho took the chance to sign for ex-Stevenage failure Peter Taylor at Wycombe in 2008. There, he made 38 appearances and scored twice during his first season as the Chairboys stepped up to League One. He made a further 41 appearances for them the following season, but the club failed in their bid for survival. That was maybe the catalyst for turning down a contract extension to join us in time for our first crack at League football.
John Mousinho: After Boro’
As soon as his 2014 loan spell with us came to an end, Moose returned to Preston North End – who promptly released him. Any hopes – realistic or otherwise – of a permanent reunion were ruled out when the midfielder landed a deal at Burton Albion. While at the Brewers, he was part of a team that won straight promotions; the first being from League Two, the second up from League One. In his third season, meanwhile, he helped them to remain in the Championship.
His time with the Brewers came to its inevitable end (in the context of footballers’ careers) early in the 2017-8 campaign. He left by mutual consent after a chance to play more regularly and more south came about. That chance was at Oxford United. During his time at the Kassam Stadium, Moose started to transition into an off-field role. A new deal in summer 2021 saw him become player-coach; an arrangement that would last ’til early 2023 – the time at which the player moved into management at Portsmouth.
With thanks to Thora
