Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley name drops Derby and Ipswich youngsters he admires as he reveals aims to follow both clubs' lead

The Blues boss holds both rival clubs in high esteem for the infrastructures they have in place that allows a conveyor belt of talent to come through to supplement the senior squad.

Pompey are working hard to replicate that, with the likes of Greg Miller and Zesh Rehman both brought in to oversee a massive overhaul in the Blues’ academy system.

That will take time to bear fruit, despite emerging duo Josh Dockerill and Adam Payce expected to travel with Pompey for their Papa John’s Trophy round of 32 game at Ipswich on Tuesday night.

Cowley has already seen giant strides made in the 18 months since his Fratton Park arrival.

But he admitted their remains plenty of work to do when you consider what both Derby and the Tractor Boys can bring to the table.

Referencing emerging Ipswich youngster Cameron Humphreys and the Rams’ use of academy graduates Eoin Cashin, Jake Rooney and Liam Thompson in their goalless draw at PO4 on Friday night, Cowley said they clubs that lead by example.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Portman Road, the Blues boss said: ‘You only have to look at the likes of Ipswich and Derby and their academies to see where they are at as football clubs - and they are quite a long way (ahead of the rest in this division).

'They're in a position that is very fortunate for a League One club.

'Let's be honest, neither club - Ipswich or Derby - is not a League One infrastructure.

'Derby County's staff came in after the game on Friday night and they spoke of how, going from Rotherham to Derby, from the Championship to League One, they quadrupled their staff to support the first team, their under-23s and their academy.

'Let's be honest, that's why clubs like Ipswich have got boys like Humphreys coming through, they've got (Elkan) Baggott at Gillingham, they've got some really good young players coming through to support their first team.

'And it's the same with Derby - the young boy Rooney who played right centre-half, Cashin, Thompson, all these young players that are coming through and ready to support the first team.

'For us, as a club, we're not at that point but we’re working really hard.

‘Our academy has made giant strides in the 18 months since Greg Miller has come to the club, and then there's Zesh Rehman, Sam Hudson and James Barlow who are working incredibly hard behind the scenes to keep improving the provision and keep trying to develop the young players we have at our disposal.

'But it's not something that happens over night. There's a process that, hopefully, the club will see the rewards in years to come.

‘But yeah, we will keep developing in that area.’