4 league players in 9 years: The successes and struggles of Portsmouth's Academy under Michael Eisner
Tornante has struggled to provide an Academy pathway into Blues first-team since becoming owners in August 2017
Michael Eisner declared a Pompey Academy vision based on raising standards and bringing through more ‘Justins and Britneys’ during his Guildhall pitch.
However, since Tornante became owners in August 2017, the Academy has remained at Category 3 level, while the numbers of youngsters progressing into the first-team squad have substantially dwindled.
During their nine seasons at Fratton Park, just four youth-team graduates have been handed Football League action - of which three have totalled eight appearances between them.
In terms of the EFL Trophy, another 24 youngsters were given their debuts, albeit in a competition centred on rotation and blooding prospects.
None of those represented Pompey in league football. However, Josh Flint is the sole player from that 24 to have gone on to feature in the Football League for any club, with 49 League Two appearances for Crawley to date.
Since Pompey reached the Championship, they are no longer involved in the EFL Trophy under its various sponsorship guises.
During that two-year period, the only Academy debutant has been Tayo Singerr, who has featured in both Carabao Cup and Championship action.
And here are the Justins and Britneys of Tornante’s reign…..
Football League
Alex Bass - 41 games (18 in League One)
The Academy graduate had been around Pompey’s squad for several years before making his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup at Coventry in August 2016 at the age of 18.
However, by the time he made his Football League bow two-and-a-half years later, Tornante were Pompey’s owners.
Kenny Jackett handed the keeper a first League One outing in the final match of the 2017-18 season against Peterborough in May 2018.
It was the 2019-20 season before Bass added to his league tally, when he surprisingly replaced Craig MacGillivray in goal for 15 League One matches, plus both play-off semi-final legs against Oxford United.
He was sold to Sunderland in July 2022, yet it took a season-long loan at AFC Wimbledon in 2023-24 for Bass to finally establish himself as a first-team regular.
He later joined Notts County (48 games) before being sold to Peterborough last summer and featuring 43 times as they finished 18th in League One.
Now aged 28, he has totalled 136 appearances since leaving Pompey.
Haji Mnoga - 18 games, 1 goal (5 in League One)
As a 16-year-old, he made his debut in a Checkatrade Trophy match at Crawley in October 2018 and went on to feature for the Blues over five successive seasons.
However, it would be more than two years later before the defender was handed his Football League bow in a 3-1 League One win at Lincoln in November 2020.
That 2020-21 season saw the Somerstown youngster make five league appearances, including three starts, as he totalled nine appearances and one goal in all competitions.
He was later sent out on loan at Bromley, Weymouth, Gillingham and Aldershot (twice) before John Mousinho released Mnoga in the summer of 2024 following Pompey’s League One title win.
After signing for Salford in August 2024, he made 75 appearances in two seasons, including starting last month’s League Two play-off final defeat to Notts County.
Having rejected a new Salford deal, the 24-year-old is currently a free agent, with ambitions of League One football.
Harry Jewitt-White - 9 games (2 in League One)
Another who made his Pompey debut in the EFL Trophy, with Jewitt-White coming off the bench against West Ham Under-21s in November 2020 at the age of 16.
However, the midfielder had to wait another two years and two months before he was handed his Football League debut, with a late cameo off the bench in a 2-1 defeat at Peterborough in January 2023.
It was John Mousinho who handed him that opportunity and, three months later, Jewitt-White started a 1-0 win over Accrington in League One.
However that would be his last league outing for the Blues and he spent the bulk of the 2023-24 season on loan with the Hawks, plus two EFL Trophy matches for the Blues.
Released from Fratton Park in the summer of 2024, the Welsh youth international signed a two-year deal with Northern Ireland side Crusaders in August 2024.
He has since totalled 43 appearances and six goals, although a shoulder injury which required two operations sidelined him for eight months, before his welcome return to action around Christmas.
Jewitt-White has since played eight times, scoring twice, while skippering the Crusaders in their successful play-off clash with Annagh to avoid relegation.
Now aged 22 and back to full fitness, Crusaders are exploring extending his deal having recognised his growing influence on the side.
Tayo Singerr - 2 games (1 in the Championship)
The striker burst onto the first-team scene in August 2025, when he scored after coming off the bench for his debut against Reading in the Carabao Cup.
It proved to be a consolation in a shock 2-1 Fratton Park defeat to League One Reading, yet offered a rare positive from the night and Singerr afterwards earned praise from John Mousinho.
He was immediately loaned to Moneyfields and plundered 14 goals in 18 appearances for the Isthmian League South Central Division club during an outstanding stay.
Recalled by Pompey, he was named on the bench for the New Year’s Day trip to Bristol City - and featured for the final 16 minutes for his Football League debut.
Jumping seven divisions and going from playing in front of a 292 non-league crowd to 24,649 at Ashton Gate, it was quite the leap for Singerr.
On January 26, he signed his first professional deal with the Blues and later had a loan spell at Gosport cut short by injury, yet he remains an exciting prospect.
EFL Trophy (August 2017 - December 2023)
Joe Hancott
Matt Casey
Bradley Lethbridge
Leon Maloney
Freddie Read
Dan Smith
Josh Flint
Harvey Rew
Eoin Teggart
Charlie Bell
Alfie Bridgman
Harrison Brook
Seok Jae Lee
Harry Kavanagh
Alfie Stanley
Gerard Storey
Harvey Hughes
Izzy Kaba
Adam Payce
Josh Dockerill
Brian Quarm
Mitch Aston
Sam Folarin
Koby Mottoh