Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter PFC News

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After six months on the south coast, Michael Morrison has left to join Cambridge United as player coach. All the best, Michael !

 

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Salisbury have signed Toby Steward on a youth loan from Portsmouth Football Club.

The Pompey goalkeeper, who will be 18 in February will be with them for the rest of the season. Toby has been part of the Portsmouth FC Academy since under 10 level.

He recently spent time on loan at Isthmian League side Bognor Regis Town. Toby is available to play for Salisbury against Merthyr Town.

 

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Portsmouth have signed defender Di'Shon Bernard on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old started his career in Chelsea's academy before joining United as a teenager. He is a 6'2" tall centre half.

He made his only first-team appearances so far for the club in 2019 in the Europa League.

Most recently, he spent last season on loan at Championship side Hull, where he played 28 times, and has also spent time with Salford on loan.

 

Pompey are also being linked with attempts to sign two more players before the 11 pm deadline.

Firstly, Paddy Lane who is a 21 year old winger with Fleetwood Town. He is a Northern Ireland international, with 2 caps, who can also play on either wing or through the middle as an attacking or central midfielder,

The second player is Exeter City forward Jevani Brown, who is 28 years of age, and 5' 9" in height. He played against us in John Mousinho's first Pompey game, and looked extremely impressive going forward, with quite a bit of pace, causing our defence a few problems.

Rumours that Pompey are possibly willing to sell 25 year old winger Reeco Hackett, with both Lincoln City and Cambridge United interested in the player.

 

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Pompey have completed the signing of forward Paddy Lane from Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international has put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year deal at Fratton Park.

Blues boss John Mousinho said: “We’re delighted to bring Paddy to the club. He’s a fantastic young player who can not only impact the squad now, but also has huge potential.

“As soon as he came on our radar, we were extremely excited about the prospect of working with him here.

“One of the most important things for us was that he was really keen on coming to Pompey and we got some excellent references.

“Paddy has a lot of guile and can beat players, while he has a wand of a left foot that our fans will love to see.

 

BREAKING: Ex-Portsmouth, Chelsea, Fulham and Sheffield United man in frame to return to Fratton Park as number two.

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Neil Allen
@pn_neil_allen

BREAKING: Ex-#Pompey player and Chelsea Academy coach Jon Harley in frame to become John Mousinho's assistant.

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Jon Harley Appointed Assistant Head Coach.

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Portsmouth Football Club are pleased to confirm the appointment of Jon Harley as assistant head coach.

The 43-year-old has left his position working with the development side at Chelsea to join John Mousinho’s backroom team.

Harley had a spell at Fratton Park towards the end of his playing career, making 26 appearances during the first half of the 2012/13 campaign.

Sporting director Richard Hughes said: “We spoke to quite a few people and both John and I were really impressed with Jon.

“His face would light up whenever he talked about Pompey and you can tell he has an affinity for this football club.

“Coupled with his coaching background – where he’s spent 10 years with Chelsea and worked with some of the best talents in the country – he’s going to add value.

“We feel that he can provide excellent support for John and so we’re delighted to have him here. He’ll be a great asset for the club.”

Head coach Mousinho said: “Jon had a fantastic playing career and competed at the top, while he’s had 10 years working with Chelsea at the highest level of development football.

“He was the outstanding candidate during the recruitment process and knowing him from my time on the Pro Licence, he’s a great guy who’s going to fit in with what we’re trying to do here.

“Jon is an excellent coach and Chelsea have a great track record of bringing through players to feature in their first team or have good careers elsewhere – he’s had a big role in that.

“That was a big part in coming here because we also want to bring young players in here and help to develop them.

“We wanted to make sure that we got the right person and it takes time to go through the list, but we were thorough and robust because this a crucial appointment.”

Harley progressed through the ranks at Chelsea as a player and was part of the squad that lifted the FA Cup in the last final to take place at the old Wembley.

The former England under-21 international went on to appear for Fulham, Sheffield United, Burnley, Watford and Notts County before arriving at Fratton Park.

He made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth in League One, with his only goal for the club arriving in a narrow defeat at Stevenage.

Harley departed the club in January and then hung up his boots following a short stint with Maidstone.

He returned to Chelsea to work with the academy before stepping up to join the development squad staff.

 

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Mark McMahon@pn_mark_mcmahon


Pompey are reportedly keeping tabs on Crewe striker Dan Agyei ahead of a potential move in the summer.

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The 25 year old is 6' tall, and can also play as a a winger. Believe he is available on a free transfer end of the season.

 

International Call Ups For Pompey Players:-

Dane Scarlett has been named in the England under-20 squad for a triple header of matches.

The 18-year-old striker – who is on loan from Tottenham – is in a 23-man party that has been picked by former Pompey coach Ian Foster.

The young Lions face Germany at the Manchester City Academy Stadium on Wednesday, March 22 (7.30pm kick-off).

They will then head to the Marbella Football Centre in Spain to take on USA (Saturday, March 25) and France (Tuesday, March 28).

The matches form part of England's preparations for the FIFA U20 World Cup, which takes place in Indonesia this summer.

Joe Morrell has already been selected in the Wales squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers, while Haji Mnoga is linking up with the Tanzania squad and Alfie Bridgman is going on under-19 duty with Malta.

 

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Pompey have been linked with a move for Hibs rising star Ethan Laidlaw. The 18-year-old striker has been pushing for a first-team breakthrough at Easter Road after impressing in the club’s youth ranks and a number of Football League teams have now been credited with interest in his services.

The Real EFL claims that League One sides Portsmouth, MK Dons, Fleetwood Town and Lincoln City are alongside League Two outfits Doncaster Rovers, Swindon Town and Crawley Town in eyeing Laidlaw.

Edinburgh-born Laidlaw has been tested against stern opposition in the UEFA Youth League and has been on the first-team bench a few times now, so it might not be long before he’s handed his first senior bow with Hibernian. That would surely pique the interests of potential suitors ahead of the summer.

Ethan Laidlaw’s form for Hibs’ under-18s, reserve team, and in the UEFA Youth league has earned him a call-up to the Scotland under-18 squad for this month’s double-header against Wales.

Laidlaw, who has been in prolific form in the CAS Elite Under-18 League as well as chipping in with goals for the club’s development side, netted during the European run, scoring a penalty at Easter Road as Hibs defeated Nantes in the first leg of the second knock-out round encounter.

Laidlaw was capped seven times by Scotland at under-17 level, and scored a hat-trick against Wales on his debut in September 2021 in a friendly that finished in a 4-3 defeat. He also featured in UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying and again in the Under-17 Euro tournament itself.

 

BREAKING: Ex-Fulham, Gillingham and Bradford man rewarded for impressive Portsmouth impact with permanent first-team role.

Under 18's Lead Development Academy coach Zesh Rehman has earned a permanent appointment to Pompey’s first-team coaching set-up, as a development coach.

 

Pompey have loaned out a trio of prospects in order to boost their promising development.

Academy players Josh Dockerill, Elliott Simpson and Jamie Howell have linked up with non-league clubs on work experience loans for the remainder of the campaign.

The youngsters are in the process of learning whether they have a Fratton Park future, with their second-year scholarship nearing its end. In the meantime, they will gain crucial experience in men’s football – with all three playing last weekend. Dockerill has joined Bognor, featuring for the entire game in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Bishop’s Stortford in the Isthmian Premier League. The central defender has been named on Pompey’s first-team bench in five matches this season, all arriving in cup competitions. His debut – and sole first-team outing to date – was in November’s 1-1 draw with AFC Wimbledon, appearing for the final 29 minutes of the Papa Johns Trophy encounter. Dockerill also played in the Hampshire Senior Cup 5-2 defeat at Bournemouth last Tuesday night, while has started 22 games for the Academy this term, scoring twice. Now he has joined Dan Gifford and Alfie Bridgman at Nyewood Lane, although the latter is currently away on Malta under-19 duty.

Elsewhere, Jamie Howell has netted nine times in 23 Pompey Academy appearances this term, in addition to the Hampshire Senior Cup 5-0 hammering of Andover New Street in December. After training with Dorchester Town on Thursday night, he was signed on loan for the remainder of the season – and thrown in for his debut on Saturday. The striker featured for the full 90 minutes as the Southern League Premier South side lost 2-0 at home to Merthyr Town, representing a 10th loss in 12 matches. Howell was among five new signings last week for Glenn Howe’s men, who are presently 14th in the table, six points ahead of Gosport Borough.

They also have former Pompey forward Alfie Stanley on their books, although he’s currently sidelined after sustaining concussion. Stanley has seven goals in 37 matches this term, having been with the Magpies since September 2021.

Finally, Elltott Simpson has joined Wessex Premier Division team Brockenhurst. The central midfielder scored a stunning 25-yard right-footed volley for Pompey’s Academy against Sutton in the Merit League earlier this month. Now he’s representing the Badgers – and played for 82 minutes in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Pagham. Simpson has made 24 appearances for the Blues’ Academy this season, of which 10 came off the bench, scoring twice.

 

Man City are among a number of top clubs tracking Portsmouth sensation Koby Mottoh, sources have told Football Insider.

Mottoh, 16, has been earning rave reviews for his displays for Portsmouth’s Under-18s this season and is the team’s top scorer from right wing-back.

The former Arsenal youngster’s performances have alerted a number of Premier League clubs to his huge potential.

Mottoh, who was on the bench for the Portsmouth first team against Port Vale at the end of last month, is eligible to play for Nigeria and England.

Nigeria have already sounded out the right-sided flyer about playing for their Under-17s.

The youngster was given the opportunity to play with a blend of youth and senior stars during Portsmouth’s 5-2 Hampshire Senior Cup win over Southampton last October – even managing to get on the scoresheet.

Mottoh was predominantly a right-winger at Arsenal but has been converted into a wing-back after signing a two-year scholarship at Fratton Park in 2022.

His performances are now attracting the attention of top-tier academies like Man City, who have produced a plethora of impressive starlets in recent years.

 

Shame if he goes, but money talks. Man. City will hopefully offer us mega bucks for him !

 

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Pompey are in a four-way race for 23 year old Northern Irish marksman Lee Bonis, according to reports.

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The Blues face a battle with Blackpool, Wigan and Birmingham to bring in the 6' 1" tall Larne Town man, who is valued at £300,000.

Bonis has bagged 17 goals this term, with the striker also chipping in with seven assists as his side lifted the Irish League crown for the first time in their 134-year history.

The 23-year-old operates as an out-and-out striker and has found the back of the net on a regular basis over the past couple of campaigns.

The Portadown-born man buried 15 goals for his hometown club in the 2020-21 campaign, prompting a move to Larne where he followed that return up with 12 finishes last term after a record £100,000 switch.

 

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Transfer gossip: Portsmouth in battle with Oxford United for Cardiff City and former Hull City winger.
Pompey are on the trail of Cardiff winger Gavin Whyte, according to reports.

But John Mousinho faces a battle with old club Oxford United to bring in the Northern Ireland international. The Blues head coach is ready for a busy summer of recruitment, with additions in wide areas high up his list of priorities.

Mousinho knows the 27-year-old from their time at the Kassam Stadium, with Whyte spending a year with the U’s before joining Cardiff in 2019. It’s the relationship the pair built there Mousinho is hoping will work in Pompey’s favour, according to Sunday Mirror sports news editor Darren Witcoop.

Whyte has made just 19 league starts during his time in Wales amid 53 outings - returning two goals. He returned to his old club on loan last term, with the former Crusaders man scoring two goals in 39 outings.

Whyte did bag 10 goals at Oxford in the 2018-19 season and smashed in 23 strikes from just 20 games in his final campaign in the Danske Bank Premiership in 2017-18.

Mousinho has previously indicated he’s looking to explore the Irish market for talent this summer - highlighting Whyte as an example of the kind of hard-working and hungry player which could be unearthed.

 

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Pompey are monitoring 25 year old Cambridge United striker Sam Smith as attacking reinforcements are sought this summer. The 6' 1" striker is available on a free transfer, with his contract expiring this summer. He scored 14 goals this season, and 21 goals the season before.

Could be a very good signing for PFC !