Portsmouth youth chief Greg Miller rules out Academy status elevation - for now

Greg Miller arrived in April challenged with overhauling the youth set-up and kickstarting a production line which has faltered in recent years.

However, raising it from the existing Category 3 status is not currently on owners Tornante’s agenda.

Miller insists Michael Eisner has ‘slightly’ increased the Academy’s budget this season after emerging through the financial difficulties inflicted by coronavirus.

And the Academy head insists the focus remains on becoming the finest youth set-up across football at their current level of category.

He told The News: ‘At the moment, the goal isn’t to be Category 2.

‘The goal is to get used to being the best functioning Category 3 Academy that we can possibly be at this moment in time.

‘I think at this stage it would be foolish to suddenly start planning for an increased categorisation when actually we need to do an appraisal of what is currently in front of us.

‘We possess some real, real qualities – in terms of the people, the young players and the multi-disciplinary staff – but, like any business, we can always look to enhance it.

‘With some of the work we’ve been doing since I came in and sharing some best practice with the first-team, I’d hope that would rub off and start to have a positive effect, improving what we’ve already got.

‘Maybe once we get to that stage, if we then felt that we could be further supported by going to Category 2 and weighing up the benefits, if any, that would give us, then we’d always look to do so.

‘We are absolutely funding at the high end of a Category 3 status and the club are investing a substantial amount of money into the programme.’

In June, the Blues purchased their Hilsea training home for around £3m.

And Miller admits the mouthwatering potential of the site could, conceivably, allow a dome and indoor centre to be built – if required.

He added: ‘I don’t see why we couldn’t build a dome if planning consent was supportive of it,

‘But obviously that in itself costs a considerable amount of money as opposed to just laying the pitch.

‘That would be an ambition which hopefully can come to fruition if we can get the appropriate planning consent and if it’s in the footprint of what we can do on the site.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can support our local team of expert Pompey writers by subscribing here for all the latest news from Fratton Park for 14p a day.