'We have a plan': Portsmouth chief reveals first-team stance on highly-regarded Toby Steward after Crawley boost
The 20-year-old made his Football League debut in April for Crawley
Pompey will be pitching Toby Steward for a Football League loan next season following his Crawley success.
And Rich Hughes is adamant remaining at Fratton Park to sit on the bench is absolutely not an option for the well-regarded keeper’s development.
The 20-year-old ended the 2024-25 campaign on a high after featuring in Crawley’s final four matches of the League One season.
Recruited on an emergency loan, Steward was thrown in for a baptism of fire, with a Football League debut at champions Birmingham in April - and kept a brilliant clean sheet.
He subsequently conceded twice in four outings for the relegated club during a season which also saw the Academy graduate feature on loan at National South side Tonbridge Angels and then National League Wealdstone.
‘Training standards through the roof’
And next season, Pompey’s sporting director is hoping to find a League One or League Two arrangement to maintain the keeper’s encouraging progress.
Hughes told The News: ‘When Crawley rang me about Tobes last season, it was really easy because his training standards are through the roof.
‘He lives in the gym, he lives his life right, he does everything you want a young footballer to do and, when you get the phone call from someone asking what he’s like, it's the easiest conversation because he’s a top, top pro and has given himself every chance of progressing in the game.
‘Now everyone can have those standards and be in the gym, but actually he’s a very good goalkeeper as well, which really helps. We spend a lot of time championing Toby, we have video reels to hand when people ask what he’s really good at, areas for improvement.
‘We have a plan for him, we want to keep him developing, and we are cautiously optimistic that the fact he has gone and done really well in League One at the business end of the season for a team in a relegation scrap will open pathways for him to hopefully find another loan.
‘That would be our aim and our hope, to keep plying his trade somewhere, hopefully in the Football League, but, if not, it will be at a competitive level for him to keep progressing.
‘If he had done what he’d done without Crawley it would have been a really successful year for him. Then to cap it off with those extra few games really put some bells on and made it a great season for Toby - and one he deserves.’
With Ben Killip extending his Fratton Park earlier this month, he will battle it out with Jordan Archer for a place on the bench.
That will leave Nicolas Schmid as first-choice keeper, while allowing Steward to once again find regular football through loan opportunities, following previous spells at Bognor, Salisbury, Gosport, Tonbridge Angels, Wealdstone and, of course, Crawley.
‘He needs games’
Hughes added: ‘The important thing for Tobes is to keep playing games, reflecting on where he needs to get better - and I know he does that with Joe (Prodomo) and John (Mousinho).
‘Playing games is hugely more beneficial for him rather than sitting on the bench. It’s a very difficult balance with goalkeepers, you need them around your building, you need them to plan, you need them to train, but, then again, you also need them to get that match exposure.
‘That’s where we’ve been lucky with Tobes over his loans. A year at Gosport was really good for him, a little spell at Wealdstone was great for him, then capping off that year with Crawley.’