The Pompey starlet and grandson of Blues promotion hero who ensured Colby Bishop didn't take all the player silverware

Harvey Laidlaw’s outstanding Blues campaign earned him the Academy Player Of The Season earlier this month.

It’s worthy recognition for the attacking left-back, who this season made his first-team bow at 16 years, eight months and 12 days to become the fourth-youngest debutant in the club’s post-war history.

The former Miltoncross Academy pupil is the grandson of Pompey ex-promotion-winning skipper Joe Laidlaw – and already showing encouraging early signs in his fledgling football career.

Clearly well-regarded in the Blues’ youth set-up, the attacking left-back made 32 appearances and scored five goals as a first-year scholar this term.

He also had the distinction of appearing at Fratton Park twice over a week during October, with each outing played in front of more than 2,500 fans.

Laidlaw, from Southsea, featured for the final eight minutes of the 5-2 Hampshire Senior Cup victory over Southampton, after replacing Michael Jacobs.

A week later, he was handed his first-team bow at the age of 16 in the Papa John’s Trophy against Aston Villa under-21s.

The full-back again appeared as a substitute and once more in the 82nd minute, although this time the Blues ran out 5-0 winners, with Josh Koroma netting twice.

It marked a special eight days for Laidlaw, who is a passionate Pompey fan and regularly watches Fratton Park matches from the South Stand.

Indeed, having received his award at the Pompey End Of Season Dinner, he afterwards asked guest speaker Harry Redknapp for a photograph, keen to capture the moment for posterity.

Laidlaw began playing with Fleur De Lys youth football club from an early age and would progress to join Pompey under-15s, later earning a two-year scholarship.

Now aged 17, he’s not the only member of the Laidlaw family thriving, sister Grace is also a footballer, featuring for Eastleigh Women as a striker.

Their granddad, Joe, was captain of the Blues’ 1979-80 promotion-winning side under Frank Burrows, which went up from Division Four.

That term also saw him handed The News/Sports Mail’s Player Of The Season, which finished joint-top goalscorer with Colin Garwood on 17.

Joe Laidlaw totalled 75 appearances and 23 goals before sold to Hereford for £15,000 in December 1980.

Now his talented grandson is also winning Pompey accolades – although the outstanding Bishop still scooped the other 16 on the table.