How Tottenham loanee Harvey White fared on his Portsmouth debut - and what bodes well

With victory all but secured, Kenny Jackett could afford to give Pompey’s newest recruit his Football League bow.
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Boasting an insurmountable 3-0 lead against AFC Wimbledon, the Blues boss took the opportunity to hand Harvey White a debut with 20 minutes remaining.

Not only did it allow Andy Cannon a breather ahead of crunch promotion battles with Hull and Lincoln but it handed the Tottenham loanee a fleeting cameo to help bed in at Fratton Park.

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White had only arrived on the south coast the previous day from Spurs, excited to kickstart his senior career.

But when a top-flight youngster heads out for his first stint in the lower leagues, there are always some concerns how they'll adapt.

Pompey fans can only remember too well when Connor Ronan joined from Wolves four years ago.

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Earlier in the season, he'd been cherry-picked by Man City's Kevin De Bruyne to swap shirts after a Carabao Cup game as reward for an impressive performance.

Harvey White replaced John Marquis for his Pompey debut against AFC Wimbledon. Picture: Joe PeplerHarvey White replaced John Marquis for his Pompey debut against AFC Wimbledon. Picture: Joe Pepler
Harvey White replaced John Marquis for his Pompey debut against AFC Wimbledon. Picture: Joe Pepler

Ronan displayed glimpses of his talent and earned plaudits in training. Ultimately, though, he failed to meet the physical demands of League One.

The third tier is a significant step up from the comforts of under-23s football. The challenge can startle even the most precocious of fledgling players.

But while White was only on the pitch for 20 minutes in a game that had already been sewn up, there were glimpses he will be able to swiftly adapt.

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On 74 minutes, the England youth international showed no hesitation when making a crunching but fair sliding challenge on the touchline.

That was met by plenty of praise from his team-mates both on and off the pitch.

In possession, White was everything expected – neat and tidy, keeping the ball ticking along nicely and showing composure as the home side ran out 4-0 victors.

Already, the Maidstone-born's made a decent impression on his team-mates, with Ryan Williams telling how he looks a good player from one training session and a short cameo.

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As things stand, White will continue to be confined to a place among the substitutes.

Cannon and Tom Naylor are the lynchpins of this promotion push, both in the form of their respective careers.

When White is needed to come on and put in a shift, though, it was an early indication he won't shirk from the task.

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