Mike Williamson is prepared to wait for his first-team chance. The 25-year-old is yet to make his Pompey debut after arriving from Watford at the beginning of September. His only involvement to date has been in the reserve team victories against West Ham and Birmingham. But after working his way back up to the Premier League, the defender believes patience is key. He joined Southampton when they were still a top-flight outfit in 2001 but failed to make an appearance for the senior side. Instead he was loaned out to Torquay, Doncaster and Wycombe, before signing permanently for the latter in 2005. “I never expected to join a Premier League team and walk straight into the side,” said Williamson. “This is a brilliant opportunity for me to prove myself on the big stage. “I’m enjoying my time here and I’m looking forward to making my debut. “I work as hard as I can in training to impress the manager and show him what I’m all about. I’ll wait for my opportunity. “Everyone sets themselves targets and goals and mine is to get into the first team. I want to get there as soon as possible whether that’s next week or in a few months. “I’m playing with guys I watched on Match of the Day, so I still need a reality check now and again. “I try not to talk about my time at Southampton too much but it was valuable experience seeing what being at a Premier League club entails. It’s a learning curve. “When I was there the advice I got was to play games, no matter what level it was at.” Paul Hart plucked Williamson from the Championship and the defender believes that more managers should take a chance on players from English sides outside the Premier League. He said: “It doesn’t happen as often now with players coming in from all over the world but there are a lot of good players in the lower leagues. “There’s a lot of untapped talent down there and maybe people need the opportunity to prove themselves on the big stage. “I appreciate where I am now and where I’ve come from. It helps keep you grounded to know where your roots are.”