'He's really, really promising. Really promising': John Mousinho pinpoints the next Academy starlet destined for Portsmouth first-team

But he has warned promising Toby Steward that plenty of hard work lies ahead.

The Blues head coach is convinced the 18-year-old goalkeeper possesses an exciting future in the game.

Although still to make his first-team debut, the former Henry Cort Community College pupil has been named on the bench six times since the turn of the year.

Steward has also featured on loan at Bognor and Salisbury this term in search of matches to aid his development.

Yet he has continued to be involved in Pompey first-team training, working with goalkeeping coach Joe Prodomo, and fellow stoppers Josh Oluwayemi, Matt Macey and, previously, Josh Griffiths.

And Mousinho has high hopes for the youngster from Whiteley.

He told The News: ‘We forget Toby is only 18 because he trains with the first-team every day and has been on the bench five times under me.

‘He is really, really promising. Really promising.

‘In terms of what we see in training day in, day out, hopefully if he keeps his feet on the ground then he will be a real prospect. I definitely like what I see from Toby.

‘Goalkeepers sometimes don’t come into the fold until they are aged 24-25, so it might be a few years, hopefully not too many.

‘If you look at Toby, he’s a really good profile of a younger player because I can see him playing for Pompey at some point in the future – and that’s what we want from these young players.

‘I don’t want to big him up too much and put any undue expectation or pressure on the lad, but that should be his focus anyway.

‘He should be excited about the future – but he’s got two goalkeepers ahead of him at the moment who are performing really well, which is a very good challenge as well.

‘I have a lot of time for Toby, but he has a lot of work ahead of him.’

Steward is effectively a second-year scholar, yet signed professional forms in February 2022 on the day of his 17th birthday.

He made 26 appearances on loan at Isthmian Premier Division side Bognor earlier this season, earning excellent reviews.

However, after moving to Salisbury in January, he suffered a 5-0 defeat in his first and only outing, before recalled by Pompey after two weeks.

Mounsinho added: ‘Sometimes it’s difficult for young players to go out on loan and do what we know they are capable of doing because of the difference between training and competition.

‘He was in and out of the side at Salisbury. It’s up to them to decide whether he was playing well enough, but, for us, it was better for him to be back here if he wasn’t going to be playing.

‘However, I genuinely have no doubts that Toby will develop into a really good goalkeeper.’