Eight summers on Portsmouth's longest-serving player hands baton to newest teenage starlet

It was July 2014 when Alex Bass began a long affiliation with the Blues’ first-team which has endured sizable spells of personal frustration.

Aged 16 years, three months and 19 days, the Academy prospect was called upon by Andy Awford for two matches.

There was also a maiden pre-season tour at Five Lakes in Maldon, Essex, alongside the likes of Adam Webster, Joe Devera, Jed Wallace, Ricky Holmes, Johnny Ertl and James Dunne.

Now – eight years on – Pompey are in Murcia, with Toby Steward representing the rookie goalkeeping presence.

He’s working alongside the 24-year-old Bass, whose ongoing bid to establish himself as a Pompey regular faces surely yet more heartbreak.

Indeed, the Blues’ longest-serving player with 41 appearances to his name continues to endure an uncertain future, with Danny Cowley searching for alternatives.

In the meantime, he’s lending his experience to the high-regarded Steward, who in February was handed professional terms on his 17th birthday.

Following the use of four goalkeepers in their opening two pre-season friendlies, it was intriguing to learn who Cowley invited to join Bass on the pre-season tour.

Triallists Josh Oluwayemi and Josh Gould, however, stayed at home, with the head coach opting for his two contracted players to fill the department for the week-long stay.

A boost to Steward, who is well thought of by Cowley and earmarked for a loan spell away from Fratton Park next season to boost his development.

For the senior member of the goalkeeping pool, it signals yet another Pompey pre-season tour.

In the summer of 2014, Awford recruited Paul Jones and Michael Poke to fight it out for the number one spot, yet injury to the latter left the squad short.

Attention turned to Bass, plucking him from the Academy to be introduced in the 59th minute of a 6-1 victory at the Rocks in July 2014.

Subsequently accompanying the squad on their pre-season training camp in Essex, he also came off the bench against Thurrock for a 2-0 win played in front of 325 fans.

That was to be his final involvement that summer, but, by 2022, he remains a constant at Fratton Park.

Both Bass and Steward are being put through their paces by new goalkeeping coach Joe Prodomo, who last month replaced Poke.

It remains to be seen, of course, whether Bass stays for the 2022-23 campaign, yet the future of Pompey is also in attendance in Murcia.

Just like Bass once was under Awford in 2014.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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