Portsmouth Football Club fans on board aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal were thrilled when their ship hosted a visit by the Premiership squad.

Led by club chairman Milan Mandaric, manager Harry Redknapp and his assistant Jim Smith, the players were invited to the ship so that the legions of Pompey fans could thank their heroes for last season’s stunning success on the pitch – the team stormed to promotion while the Ark was on duty in the Gulf during the campaign against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.

And it was also a chance for the football club to return the thanks, with Milan Mandaric saying that their hearts were with their far-flung fans during the war.

Among those visiting were former England stars Teddy Sheringham, Tim Sherwood and Steve Stone, England Under 21 international Matt Taylor and a clutch of overseas internationals.

The visit started with a briefing on the ship’s operations in the Gulf – and a safety warning for when they moved around the ship; Charge Chief Ken Neilson said he would not have forgiven himself if one of the stars missed a game through tripping or falling down a ladder.

The visitors were then taken to the hangar and up to the flight deck on one of the aircraft lifts, with plenty of sailors on hand to explain how the ship went about her business.

Tours of the ship took them through the operations room and up to the bridge before they met some of the fans in the Wardroom.

While passing through the ship, there was plenty of back-clapping and hand-shakes as the Pompey fans expressed their gratitude to Milan for what he had done for the club – taking it from the fringe of relegation to the Second Division and putting it in the Premiership for the first time.

At the end of the visit, Ken Neilson presented Milan Mandaric with a framed picture of the ship, signed by supporters on board, while Ark Royal’s Commander, Cdr Paul Cook – effectively the second-in-command of the carrier – thanked the team and wished them well for their first Premiership season.

Ken said: “It means a hell of a lot to us to get the first team on board,” and he thanked the visitors “for making our dreams come true.”

He said there were 629 people on board rooting for them – but he was not one of them, as he admitted he supported arch-rivals Southampton.

Milan Mandaric said it had been a special day for the visitors, and pointed out that the Ark’s team of 620 and the Pompey team of 18 had a common goal – winning.

Harry Redknapp thanked the sailors for their unstinting support, and commented wryly that one of the team’s best away performances of last season was prompted by the knowledge that the game was being beamed live by satellite to the Ark in the Gulf.

The ship is based in Portsmouth, which is why there is such a thriving fan-base on board, but the carrier also has a formal link with Pompey’s Premiership rivals Leeds United, through the ship’s affiliation to the Yorkshire city.