'Depends on your definition of experience': Portsmouth chief on why Chelsea Academy coach and ex-Sheffield United and Burnley man is perfect Fratton fit

The 43-year-old has been appointed as assistant head coach to John Mousinho following a decade coaching in Chelsea’s Academy.

The one-time Pompey left-back quit as assistant to the Premier League giants’ development group in favour of a return to Fratton Park on Thursday.

After initially arriving at Stamford Bridge as an under-15 coach in January 2013, Harley has gone on to forge an excellent reputation in youth circles.

Now the ex-England under-21 full-back, who represented 10 Football League clubs in a career consisting of 482 appearances, has become Mousinho’s number two.

And sporting director Hughes, who was integral in the decision, has backed Pompey’s choice.

He told The News: ‘I think it just depends on what your definition of experience is. The fact Jon has 10 years working at one of the elite clubs in the world counts for a hell of a lot.

‘People can be too preconceived on experience of being around League One and the Championship, but Jon’s freshness gives him a real hunger to succeed – and his playing background speaks for itself.

‘I don’t think there’s a scenario where you stop around Chelsea for as long as he has without being a really effective grass coach and we are looking forward to bringing his talents here.

‘We looked at lots of different people and were probably really fortunate in terms of how open-minded John Mousinho is. There was no preconceived idea that they had to be person X or person Y.

‘Our focus wasn’t solely on experience or not, we tried to get a real variation of people to speak to, making sure we had the right fit, and identifying different avenues to ensure we were going down the right one.

‘I am fortunate, I’ve had people take opportunities on me and been afforded experiences that convention might not have seen to be the case.

‘I’ve worked with some good people in the past and there will be plenty of examples of people who have learnt their trades in the Academies. After all, it remains 11 players and a ball. There are still real similarities between them and also differences.

‘Granted, in first-team football there is more of an emphasis on results, but Jon’s playing background gives him that full understanding.’

Coincidentally, Mousinho and Harley attended the same Uefa pro licence course, as did predecessors Danny and Nicky Cowley.

Now the duo are working side-by-side in League One.

Hughes added: ‘First and foremost, what we looked for was the synergy with John Mousinho is really important. Can they cooperate and be successful? That became really clear when we spoke to Jon.

‘Then there’s the similarity in how they see the game, while the need to check and challenge, somebody who is going to question and try to make us better – but also possesses underlying principles of how the game should be played.

‘They were the key things for us and I think Jon will be a great fit for us as a football club.’