The young Portsmouth scoring sensation no longer under the radar after explosive start to the season

The likes of Koby Mottoh, Destiny Ojo and Sam Folarin have been earmarked as Academy attacking players of much promise as they maintain encouraging development.

However, team-mate Maxwell Hurst has outscored all three during a blistering start to the season.

The second-year scholar has so far this term rattled in eight goals in five appearances.

A towering centre-forward, he is presently on a month’s loan at Baffins Milton Rovers, netting on his full debut in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Ringwood Town.

After initially serving as a super sub, he now has four goals and one assist in three games for the Wessex League Premier leaders.

Having also registered four goals in two outings for Sam Hudson’s under-18s Academy side before joining Baffins, Hurst’s heartening progress is catching the eye.

Now Pompey have requested the teenager doesn’t feature in Tuesday night’s Hampshire Senior Cup tie with Bournemouth Poppies as they don’t want him cup-tied.

Academy lead professional development phase coach Hudson told The News: ‘Maxwell has just gone out, scored a few goals and got a few assists. He seems to have settled really well.

‘Baffins can't stop scoring, so it's good he has gone there, they’re in a good bit of form and that will do his confidence good.

‘Maxwell's actually a fantastic presser. We don’t always say that about centre-forwards, but he sets the press really well, he’s very committed in the press.

‘He’s very tall, but his frame is still probably not as physically developed as Sam (Folarin) or Destiny (Ojo). So for him it’s trying to bulk him up in the gym and we’ve given him a dedicated strength programme to help.

‘Maxwell’s a great worker, he is improving his finishing too, you don’t keep scoring goals by accident. A lot of that is down to timing and that’s the great work the Academy staff are doing with him, especially in his individual sessions.

‘It’s a month loan, both parties are reviewing it and seeing how it goes. If we feel the loan adds value to him and he’s enjoying it and they are happy with his work-rate, attendance and punctuality plus on the pitch, there is no reason why they couldn’t be extended to longer.’

Hurst, who didn’t feature in any Pompey pre-season matches, marked his Baffins debut last month by netting twice off the bench against Lymington Town.

He then scored as a substitute against Bournemouth FC, before registering on his full debut against Ringwood on Saturday.