Defender Johnson, 23, and goalkeeper Ashdown, 27, were part of the squad which helped Pompey win the cup for the first time in 69 years with a 1-0 victory over Cardiff at Wembley on Saturday.

Thames Valley Police confirmed the medals had been reported stolen after a burglary at the hotel following the final.

Johnson and Ashdown discovered the gongs were missing when they returned to the Oakley Court Hotel, near Windsor, after the victory parade through the streets of Portsmouth yesterday, which attracted crowds of more than 150,000 people.

Johnson said: "I put my medal in my washbag after the game at Wembley.

"When we got back to the hotel, I put my washbag in my room before packing it into my main bag on Sunday morning before the parade.

"We checked out of the room on Sunday morning and left our bags in a safe place to collect them after the parade.

"But when I got back to the hotel and checked to look at my winners' medal, it was gone.

"I'm so disappointed. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed someone's going to give it back."

Ashdown, who was an unused substitute in the final, was devastated.

He said: "The medal was in its box in one of my jacket pockets. The jacket was hanging on the back of a chair while I enjoyed a drink at the hotel with some of the other players and their families."

Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie said: "If someone has taken these medals, they have deprived our players of their lifelong dream.

"The medals appear to have been taken from the hotel, which is unfortunate because the hotel looked after us so well for the three days we were there.

"Clearly, someone has come in from outside knowing that these medals were about and focused on taking them."