Promising Portsmouth youngster offered Birmingham City opportunity after Fratton Park release

As previously revealed by The News, the attacking midfielder is leaving Fratton Park at the end of the season after failing to win a professional deal.

Payce has registered 14 goals in 31 appearances for the under-18s this season, while also skippers the side.

However, he must now look elsewhere to further his football career - bringing him to the attention of Daish.

The former Republic of Ireland international has served as Birmingham’s Academy manager since November and recently invited Payce for a week-long trial.

Daish knows all about the youngster from his time working with Pompey’s Academy as lead professional development phase coach, before quitting last summer.

And Payce has this week linked up with the Championship club bidding to earn a place in their under-21 set-up.

As a consequence of his impending trial, the midfielder was given permission to be absent from Pompey Academy’s trip to Stevenage last Saturday.

Without their captain, the ill Harvey Laidlaw, and with Koby Mottoh an unused substitute after picking up a knock in training the previous day, Sam Hudson’s team suffered a 3-0 loss.

It ended an impressive five-match winning streak for the youngsters, although they remain top of the Merit League with one fixture remaining.

The season culminates with the visit of Cambridge United to the Copnor Road training ground on April 29 (11am), while the first-team travel to Derby.

Payce, a second-year scholar, has featured three times for Pompey since November 2021, with all outings arriving in the Papa Johns Trophy.

He also lined-up for a Pompey XI in their Hampshire Senior Cup quarter-final defeat at Bournemouth last month.

Aside from Payce, the Blues are to also release promising youngsters Elliott Simpson, Jamie Howell and Gabriel Kamavuako, with the trio currently on loan in non-league football.

However, Josh Dockerill has been offered terms, with the central defender this week returning from a Bognor loan spell.

Since joining Robbie Blake’s team in March, Dockerill has made six appearances, including operating at right-back in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Folkestone Invicta.

That represented the Rocks’ final match of the season, leaving them 14th in the Isthmian Premier League, with fellow Pompey loanee Alfie Bridgman among the scorers.

Dan Gifford also started and now he and Bridgman wait to learn whether they have Fratton futures with their deals expiring this summer.