Sol Campbell will lead Portsmouth when they take on Guiamaraes in the second leg of their UEFA Cup first round tie on Thursday night.

Campbell’s promotion to the captaincy comes just days after astonishing scenes at Fratton Park, where Tottenham Hotspur fans verbally abused the Portsmouth defender as he helped his side maintain a clean sheet in their 2-0 victory over the Spurs.

The resentment towards Campbell can be traced back to the defender’s defection from Spurs to arch-rival Arsenal in 2001.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp hopes that giving the captaincy to Campbell will send a clear message to his critics, and prove the club’s unwavering support for their veteran player.

Redknapp also promised that his side would remain vigilant as they take on Guimaraes in the UEFA Cup, and would not allow the 2 goal buffer Portsmouth carries into the match to lull his players into a false sense of security.

“Although we know they are still a dangerous side with great flair we have players who can cause them problems as well,” Redknapp told reporters.

“We are certainly not coming here to sit back for 90 minutes and invite them on to us. That would be asking for trouble. It will be a tough game we know but we would love to get through this round at least and keep the excitement going for the fans.”