Highly-rated attacker heads Portsmouth prospects to learn Fratton fates on Academy D-Day

Pompey’s latest crop of Academy talent will today learn whether they have a Fratton future.

Koby Mottoh heads the list of second-year scholars waiting to discover if they will be handed deals upon graduation at the season’s end.

While third-year scholar Destiny Ojo, who is currently on loan at Lancing, will also be informed if there continues to be a Blues pathway for himself.

Academy lead professional development phase coach Sam Hudson will oversee the difficult process, with some of the promising youngsters having been with the Blues since the age of eight.

Others waiting to learn their fate are Harvey Laidlaw, Mitch Aston, Sam Folarin and Brian Quarm, who have all featured in EFL Trophy action for Pompey during the last two seasons.

In addition, there’s skipper Jack Fox, Maxwell Hurst, Malachi Osei-Owusu, Kevin Bosaka and Dan Murray.

Inevitably the future of Mottoh will capture most attention, having featured for John Mousinho’s side five times this season, albeit all in cup competitions.

After being handed his debut off the bench at Forest Green in the Carabao Cup in August, the attacking right-sided player has totalled two starts and three substitute outings for the Blues.

His most recent involvement was as a substitute in December’s 5-2 defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

Laidlaw, grandson of Pompey 1979-80 promotion-winning captain Joe, is the reigning Academy Player of the Season, receiving the accolade last year as a first-year scholar.

He also made his first-team debut as a substitute in the October 2022 victory over Aston Villa under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy, while this term has had loan spells at Gosport and Horndean.

Defender Quarm also gained his sole Pompey appearance off the bench in that Aston Villa game, while Folarin, currently on loan with the Rocks, featured as a substitute in November’s 2-1 win at Leyton Orient in the same competition.

Former Cams Hill School pupil Aston was aged 17 years, five months and six days when came off the bench for his debut in October’s 5-1 win over Gillingham at Fratton Park in the EFL Trophy.

Of the others, central defender Fox and striker Hurst have impressed on loan at Baffins Milton Rovers this season, with the former currently in a third spell with Danny Thompson’s men.

Meanwhile, Ojo is the only third-year scholar on Pompey’s books, having arrived from Lancing two years ago.

He suffered an awful ankle injury while training with Danny Cowley’s first-team in July 2022 during pre-season, but has since spent loan time with Poole, Sholing and now Lancing this season.