Former AFC Bournemouth Academy defender Harvey Tanner set for US Portsmouth Wessex League debut

Flashback to April 2013 - Captain Harvey Tanner, left, and Tommy Leigh after Priory School won the Hampshire Schools U13 Cup final against Salesian College at Fratton Park.
Picture: Ian Hargreaves — Flashback to April 2013 - Captain Harvey Tanner, left, and Tommy Leigh after Priory School won the Hampshire Schools U13 Cup final against Salesian College at Fratton Park. Picture: Ian Hargreaves

The central defender has been reunited with USP boss Fraser Quirke, who signed him when he was managing AFC Portchester’s Wyvern Combination team in 2016/17.

Tanner spent two years in the AFC Bournemouth youth system - from 14 to 16 - after skippering Meon Milton Youth to multiple Portsmouth League and Hampshire Cup wins.

Tanner also skippered a Priory School team containing current Accrington Stanley star Tommy Leigh to a Hampshire Schools U13 Cup final win a decade ago at Fratton Park.

Flashback to June 2011 - Wimborne Junior School football team. Back (from left): Harvey Tanner, Tommy Leigh, Ted Graham, Olly Reeves (11). Front : Pascal Link, Sonny O'Neill, Dylan Fletcher. Picture: Ian Hargreaves

He had trials with AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge United, and Rotherham and was considered for a one-year pro deal with Dundee, a move scuppered by UEFA regulations.

His most recent club was Musselburgh Athletic in Scotland, while he has played Wessex League football before for Alton.

Tanner is added to a USP squad that has to deal with a Horndean side fresh from a club record Wessex League win in midweek -10-0 against Alresford.

SEE MORE: Picture gallery – US Portsmouth 0 Horndean 3

That result didn’t tell Quirke anything he didn’t know - he saw at first hand only last weekend what the Deans are capable of when they won 3-0 at the Victory Stadium!

USP travel to Five Heads Park without Cameron Quirke, Shawn Benjamin and Elliott Holmes, who are all in Portugal on a warm weather training camp ahead of the annual inter-services tournament.

Against that, Dan Sibley, Ash Thompson and Bradey Norton are available after missing Tuesday’s surprise 3-0 home Russell Cotes Cup quarter-final loss to lower tier Millbrook.

‘It was a disappointing result,’ Quirke stated. ‘Nobody wants to go out of a cup at the quarter-final stage.

‘They came fully loaded, were keen and enthusiastic, while I was looking at it as an opportunity to give some of the younger lads a game.’

That he did, handing former Moneyfields youth midfielder Dehran Mclay Hodge his first start. Right-back Owen Scammell also made his first start since returning from a stint at Baffins, while Mason Garvey was introduced as a second half sub at left-back.

Horndean could include former USP skipper Tom Jeffes, available again after injury, as they chase the three points and four goals that would see them bring up a century of Wessex goals for the second season running.

Zack Willett, who has scored in all of his three previous league appearances against USP, needs two more goals to reach 40 league and cup strikes, also for the second season in a row.