half of the season, so it came as no surprise that in the January 2006 transfer window, then-Tottenham coach Martin Jol sought to offload him. Portsmouth Mendes joined Portsmouth on 12 January 2006 in a combined deal that included Sean Davis and Noé Pamarot for a fee of £7.5 million. He became a pivotal player and goal scorer in the club's fight to avoid relegation. Mendes made his Portsmouth debut in a Premier League match against Everton on 14 January. His first and second goals earned him a place in Portsmouth folklore as they came in a crucial match against Manchester City on 11 March. Both goals were 25-yard shots, the first to give Portsmouth the lead on the hour mark and the second, in the 93rd minute, gave the club a 2–1 win. On 23 August 2006, during another match against Manchester City, Ben Thatcher clattered into Mendes with his elbow, the force of which knocked Mendes head-first into a billboard. The injury was so severe Mendes was knocked out and required oxygen at pitchside. He suffered a seizure while being transferred to hospital, where he spent the night. He was discharged from hospital the next day, but remained under medical supervision. Thatcher only received a yellow card for the foul at the time. Despite the severity of the incident, Mendes was back playing for Portsmouth two weeks later. However, he expressed his shock at the challenge and stated that he had considered quitting the game due to his injuries. Thatcher was fined and suspended by Manchester City, and was charged by The Football Association, but was not sued by Mendes. When they next faced one another in January 2007, Mendes shook hands with Thatcher pre-match, despite claiming beforehand that he would not do so. In the 2007–08 season, Mendes won his first and only footballing honour during his spell in English football – he started in the Portsmouth side that won the FA Cup after a 1–0 win over Cardiff City in the final on 17 May 2008. Mendes returned to Wembley Stadium three months later as part of the Portsmouth team that contested the 2008 FA Community Shield on 10 August. The match ended 0–0 after extra time, where Manchester United later triumphed 3–1 on penalties. On 21 February 2012, Mendes signed up to the Portsmouth Supporters Trust to join a group of over 5,000 other Pompey