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Pompey have just completed the free transfer signing of 28 year old, 6' tall striker Aiden O'Brien from Sunderland. He is a former Millwall player, and a Republic of Ireland international with 5 caps.

Across all competitions, the forward has managed six goals and three assists in 25 games this campaign. He managed an impressive four goals in five Carabao Cup games as the Black Cats progressed to the quarter-finals before losing comprehensively to Arsenal.

The addition of O’Brien will be a useful one for Pompey. He can operate in a range of roles, featuring anywhere across the front three as well as in attacking midfield.

 

Good signing for the Gills there brb ! He was brilliant for us when here on loan, and the vast majority of Pompey fans wanted the club to try and resign him.

Hope he helps keep you up, but if not we will take him off your hands at the end of the season !!

 

Toby Steward Pens Professional Deal - Academy keeper signs contract.

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Pictured from left to right are: Greg Miller (academy manager), Liam Daish (lead professional development phase coach), Toby Steward, Daniel Hill (academy lead goalkeeper coach), James Barlow (assistant professional development phase coach), Danny Cowley (head coach)

Toby Steward has signed his first professional contract with Pompey.

The goalkeeper – who celebrates his 17th birthday today – has put pen to paper on a deal until the summer of 2024.

He has trained regularly with the first team this season and been on the bench on seven occasions, including the League One trips to Wycombe at AFC Wimbledon.

Steward has also gained international recognition, taking part in a development camp for England stoppers.

Blues boss Danny Cowley said: We want to congratulate Toby and everyone at the academy who has worked with him to get to this level.

 

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Portsmouth Football Club have appointed James Barlow as the new academy head of coaching.

He will begin the role in early March, having worked at Pompey as assistant professional development phase coach for the past two years.

Barlow said: “I’ll be looking at repurposing our culture, how we coach, who we are and what we pride ourselves on.

“The role also includes coach development and a strong focus on the player development pathway to ensure they are better decision makers and technically capable of progressing into first team football.

“I want to provide a fresh look at things, while supporting the good work that is already ongoing in the academy.

“Having been at the club already, I have those strong working relationships with senior staff and the first team coaches.

“I think that will help ensure it’s a really smooth transition, without needing time to connect with lots of different people. Now I want to help challenge and inspire in certain areas.

“It’s been almost 20 years since I first went to a Division One game with my dad and granddad, so this is a proud moment for me.”

Barlow has worked in the sport across a variety of different roles and believes that can help him in his new position.

He said: “I’ve previously been at two of the best universities in a performance coaching capacity at Loughborough and Nottingham.

“But I’ve also been in a first team environment a Boston United and at Nottingham Forest’s academy during their transition period to move into category one.

“And I’ve worked as an England technical staff member for their futsal side, going to two European competitions.

“I was also a teacher for five years, so I’ve got vast experiences that I think can help with coach development and the player pathway.”

Academy manager Greg Miller added: “James is a highly qualified coach, holding both the UEFA ‘A’ Licence and The FA’s Advanced Youth Award.

“His appointment gives us a fantastic degree of continuity, as he has been working with the full-time staff for some time.

“It also demonstrates the opportunity that exists here at Pompey for staff to progress at the club and develop their skills.”

 

Liam Daish To Step Down From Academy Role - Lead professional development phase coach to depart at the end of the season.

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Portsmouth Football Club can confirm that Liam Daish will be stepping down from his position as lead professional development phase coach at the end of the current season.

The former Republic of Ireland international defender, 53, has worked in the Pompey academy since the summer of 2017.

He had previously come through the youth ranks at Fratton Park and made a single league appearance before going on to feature for Cambridge, Birmingham and Coventry.

Daish ended his playing career at Havant & Waterlooville and managed the club before taking charge of Ebbsfleet and Nuneaton.

Pompey academy manager Greg Miller said: “During my time at the club, Liam has utilised his coaching and playing experiences to offer our players a valuable understanding of the technical and behavioural requirements to progress beyond the under-18 environment.

 

Both Pompey's goal keepers have been called up for international duty.

Gavin Bazunu to the full Republic of Ireland squad, and Ollie Webber to the Northern Ireland Under 19 squad.

Also called up are Joe Morrell for the full Wales squad, Ronan Curtis to the full Republic of Ireland squad, and Harry Jewitt-White to the Wales Under 19 squad.

 

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Haji Mnoga has been called up for international duty with Tanzania.

The defender will be available for friendlies against the Central African Republic, Botswana and Sudan.

19 year old Mnoga is currently on loan at Weymouth, where he has been an ever-present in the National League.

The Blues academy product's previous international experience came for England U17s in 2019.

 

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Congratulations to #Pompey’s Haji Mnoga who made his Tanzania debut this week in a 3-1 win against Central Africa

 

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Portsmouth make contract decision over in-form teenager amid Norwich City and QPR transfer links
Portsmouth academy striker Dan Gifford has had an impressive 2021/22 season for the Blues' academy and on loan at Bognor Regis Town, earning him a new Blues contract.

Portsmouth academy striker Dan Gifford has been handed a one-year contract extension by the Blues after an impressive season.

Gifford was among a number of academy players whose deals were set to expire at the end of this season, but the 18-year-old forward has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at Fratton Park until the end of the 2022/23 season.

In January, HampshireLive reported that Queens Park Rangers, Middlesbrough, and Norwich City had all been among a number of clubs tracking Gifford’s progress.

During 19 appearances for the Blues ’ under-18s side this term across league, cup, and friendly matches, Gifford has wowed with his goal tally, netting 23 times in all competitions.

 

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Harvey Hughes has been recalled from his loan spell at Bognor Regis Town FC to enable the youngster to go on trial with Premier League Club Brighton.

According to reports from Sussex World, Hughes has today been recalled from his loan spell to spend the rest of the season with the Premier League club.

Hughes, 18, is highly thought of having previously won the Community & Education Football Alliance Male Player of the Season at the 2019 EFL awards. He also featured for the Pompey First-Team in the 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace U21s in the EFL Trophy earlier this season, where he played the full 90 minutes.

 

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Harry Jewitt-White has signed his first professional contact with Pompey.

The Welsh under-18 international midfielder recently turned 18 and has been on the bench for several League One matches this season.

His five senior appearances have all come in the Papa John’s Trophy, including in January’s dramatic victory at Exeter.

Jewitt-White said: “I’m delighted because Pompey is where I’m from and they’re the club that I grew up supporting. I’m really happy.

“Now I need to keep working hard if I want to kick on and do enough to earn my place in the side next season.

“It’s been an unbelievable experience to have been around the first team and it’s made me want more. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead.

“I want to thank all the academy staff, but especially Jon Slater and Shaun North, who have been with me since I joined the club at the age of eight.

“Everyone has helped me get to this point, though, including Liam Daish and Greg Miller. They’ve all been unbelievable.”

 

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Sean Raggett Named Player Of The Season.

 

Former Portsmouth youngsters set for Eredivise and battles against Ajax and PSV after winning promotion with Wim Jonk's FC Volendam.

Former Pompey youngsters Josh Flint and Leon Maloney will be plying their trade in the Eredivise next season. That’s after their current employers, FC Volendam, booked their promotion to the Dutch top-flight with a 2-1 win at Den Bosch on Friday night – with the former scoring his maiden goal for the club.

The duo have been with Wim Jonk’s side since 2020, with Maloney – who made five appearances for the Blues – choosing to pursue a career away from Fratton Park after a decade with the south coast side.

Flint, on the other hand, was released by Pompey after 11 years of service and had a stint at non-league Bognor before making the move to Volendam.

A freak injury to Maloney has hampered his progress, with the 20-year-old from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, restricted to just seven appearances for the Kras Stadion outfit’s reserve team this season.

For Waterlooville’s Flint, though, he has firmly established himself as a regular as the campaign has progressed, making 13 appearances since mid-December and starting six of Volendam’s past seven games.

They’ve all come as a centre-back as well, with the 21-year-old having come through the Fratton Park ranks as a midfielder.

His Pompey debut against Norwich under-21s in the 2019-20 Papa John’s Trophy came in the Blues’ engine room – as did his only other appearance for his hometown club against Oxford in the same competition.

But now he’s making a name for himself as a central-defender – and one for an eye, too, as his opener against Den Bosch proved.

Tweeting about Volendam’s promotion, the former Fratton Park season-ticket holder said: ‘What a team! Delighted to score my first goal for the club and secure promotion. Eredivise here we come.’

The team’s promotion alongside FC Emmen comes after 13 years in the Eerste divisie, with their last season in the top flight back in 2009. Back then, Flint and Maloney would have been seven and eight-year-olds respectively and just about to embark on youth careers at Pompey.

 

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Pompey have handed third year scholarships to two of their academy players.

Midfielder Alfie Bridgman and striker Dan Gifford – who are both aged 18 – will be extending their careers with the Blues.

Bridgman has already made two first team appearances for the club in the Papa John’s Trophy, while both players have impressed on loan at Bognor this season.

The duo follow in the footsteps of Toby Steward and Harry Jewitt-White, who have signed their first professional contracts this season.

Academy manager Greg Miller said: “It’s brilliant news for them and now they need to keep working hard to continue their progress.

“Dan’s had such a successful loan at Bognor and I know they’re desperate for him to stay for next season, while Alfie’s also had a good spell there over a shorter period.

“Danny Cowley wants them both in for the first day of pre-season and then we’ll sit down and work out where the best destination for any of our players is.

“But the gauntlet has been thrown down and if they immediately start showcasing their talents to a high level, then that might allow them to find their way into the Pompey squad.

“They’ve been given that opportunity to impress the coaching staff and now it’s up to them to make the most of that.

“We were turned down by some of our players last term, perhaps because they were nervous about the pathway and Covid didn’t help the situation.

“But this season we’ve seen lads train with the first team on a daily basis and it’s led to two lads signing pro contracts and two agreeing third year scholarships.

“To get four players making the step up in the first year since we’ve made some alterations is absolutely fantastic.”

Harvey Hughes, Izzy Kaba, Conor Manderson and David Setters have not been offered new Pompey deals.

Miller said: “It is always heartbreaking when it’s deemed that any young player has reached the end of their time with the club.

“Danny and I undertook the process, along with Liam Daish, of breaking the bad news to them and we thank them for their efforts, along with their families.

“We’ve helped them create CVs with clips and have circulated them to EFL clubs, while they’re all coming in to train this week.

“They’ll have a post-season maintenance programme provided – both in the gym and also cardiovascular – to maintain the appropriate fitness levels.

“There is also some pastoral support that has been put in place and a number of one-to-ones with our head of psychology.

“That support will continue to be there for these players – not only over the summer, but also in the future as they transition away from Portsmouth Football Club.

“It’s just trying to help them identify the best pathway. Some are contemplating a US scholarship, some are looking at an U23 professional team and some want to go straight into the men’s game at whatever level.”

 

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According to reports, Pompey are interested in signing 20 year old Scottish midfielder Ethan Erhahon, currently with St Mirren.

 

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Pompey apparently linked with a loan move for talented young Swansea striker Kyle Joseph.

 

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Good News !!

Pompey have taken up the option of extending Marcus Harness’ contract with the club.

The 26-year-old forward has made 134 appearances since joining from Burton in the summer of 2019.

He struck 12 times last term – behind only George Hirst in the club’s scoring charts – and found the net in four successive games during November.