'One of the best young talents in this league': Ex-Portsmouth starlet in demand despite Gosport exit

An ex-Pompey starlet has been branded ‘one of the best young talents in this league’ following his Gosport departure to join non-league rivals.

Harvey Rew was among the casualties of the controversial 2021 Academy cull which saw every second and third-year scholar released.

Despite three first-team starts, the left-back joined Charlie Bell, Taylor Seymour, Harry Kavanagh, Eoin Teggart, Tom Bruce, Harry Anderson, Gerard Storey, Leon Pitman and Alfie Stanley in departing in the summer of 2021.

Those exits were completed with Harrison Brook and Seok Jae Lee declining contract extensions, representing a set-back overall for the Blues’ youth production line.

Rew, who then had trials at West Ham, Southampton, Sheffield United, Brighton and Millwall, subsequently joined Gosport, spending the last three seasons there.

However, the former Brune Park Community School pupil has now left Privett Park following a heartbreaking defeat in last month’s Southern League Premier South play-off semi-finals.

And the 21-year-old has been snapped up by league rivals AFC Totton, managed by former Pompey youth coach Jimmy Ball.

Ball told Totton’s official website: ‘I watched Harvey a couple of times two seasons ago and again a few times last year, when he was playing for Gosport Borough.

‘He scored against us in the game at their place early in the campaign, but then injury disrupted his season not long after that.

‘I believe he is one of the best young talents in this league, so once I discovered that there was a genuine possibility of signing him, I was keen to get the deal done as quickly as possible and I’d like to thank Gosport for their cooperation in getting everything sorted out so efficiently.

‘Harvey is keen to come here and play, to prove how good he is, and to kick on in his career. He has bags of potential and I’m really looking forward to seeing him in a Totton shirt.’

Rew is a former Fratton End season ticket holder who went on to represent his boyhood club’s first-team on three occasions.

Joining the Blues at under-12 level, he also featured for Wales under-16s and under-17s, totalling nine caps, while made his Pompey debut at the age of 17 years and 14 days.

That arrived as a first-year scholar in October 2019, when he started against Oxford United in a Leasing.com Trophy fixture which finished 2-2.

Jackett named him in his side against West Ham under-21s in November 2020, then the left-back started a 5-1 loss at Peterborough in January 2021.

Fellow Pompey graduates Harry Kavanagh and Alfie Stanley have remained at Gosport, however, after signing new deals.

Borough finished fourth last season under management duo Pat Suraci and Joe Lea, who remain at the helm following a highly-promising campaign.