Why double award-winner is leading Portsmouth Academy's revitalisation - but promising quartet must be given games

With inevitability, it was Fratton Park which entertained him on Sunday evening in the Victory Lounge’s End of Season Awards.

Flanked by parents Liz and Nick, the promising striker and former Oaklands School pupil was crowned Academy Player of the Season.

Elsewhere, Gifford’s name was being toasted in his absence, with the Rocks announcing him as Most Improved Player of the Season at their corresponding event.

An impressive Nyewood Lane loan spell produced 10 goals in 25 outings for the youngster from Emsworth, who grew up idolising Benjani among his Pompey heroes.

Such progress persuaded the Blues to offer the 18-year-old a third-year scholarship – yet, crucially, he wasn’t alone.

Crookhorn-based left-sided attacker Alfie Bridgman earned terms, while Harry Jewitt-White last month signed his first professional contract on the Fratton Park pitch ahead of kick-off against Rotherham.

There is, of course, also Toby Steward, the highly-regarded goalkeeper named on Pompey’s bench seven times this season, despite being a first-year scholar.

His eye-catching displays also earned several invitations to England training camps, while in February was handed professional terms on his 17th birthday.

That takes the tally to four youngsters handed contracts since the turn of the year, notable signatures considering last summer’s controversial clear-out.

All second-year scholars and third-year professionals departed Fratton Park over that period, their Blues futures destroyed during the dead space preceding incoming new Head of Academy Greg Miller.

Indeed, lead professional development phase (PDP) coach Liam Daish and head of education and welfare Jon Slater had to inform the youngsters of their exits, despite neither involved in such decisions.

According to some, then-interim head of football operations Roberto Gagliardi was heavily involved in the process.

In total, seven had their footballing dreams shattered, among them Alfie Stanley (now with Dorchester), Harry Kavanagh and Harvey Rew (both Gosport).

In addition, Harrison Brook (now Bognor) and Seok Jae Lee (Gosport and Hawks) turned down offers and following Football League trials, joined their respective clubs after the 2021-22 season’s start.

Fast forward a year and once again there are heartbreaking departures, with Harvey Hughes, Izzy Kaba, Conor Manderson and David Setters not offered new deals.

Left-back Hughes, who made 14 appearances on loan at Bognor, has already attended a week’s trial with Brighton under-23s, while Kaba has had time on loan at Salisbury and Totton in recent months.

Their time can come again, as their predecessors have demonstrated.

Yet, on the flip side, Pompey have since February secured the futures of their four brightest prospects, surely a reason to be heartened.

They’ll need games to develop, however, loan spells away, regular first-team football in non-league, plus outings in the Blues’ Papa John’s Trophy campaign. In the absence of an under-23s squad, another pathway must be supplied.

And let’s hope Gifford isn’t the only one of them collecting awards and accolades come May 2023.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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