Portsmouth F.C. Reserves and Academy

Portsmouth XI

Previously called Portsmouth Reserves, the Portsmouth XI primarily consists of young players under the age of 23 who are no longer eligible for the academy but are still attempting to make the step up to the senior team. This team is used to give younger professional players and first team players returning from injury the opportunity to play and maintain or improve their match fitness, or for trialists at the club to impress in a match environment.

The club are currently opting out of fielding a competitive, league-based reserve team. Instead, young players have been sent out on loan to local non-league football clubs for first-team action, and several friendly matches are arranged throughout the season for players to play in. Players can freely move between the first team, XI or academy (depending on age and contract status).

The Academy

Portsmouth were granted academy status at the beginning of the 2007/2008 season. In their first year as an academy side, they finished in a highly respectable 4th-place in the Premier League Academy Group A, beating some well-established academy sides such as those of Southampton and Crystal Palace. In the 2012-13 season, the Academy won the Football League Youth Alliance South East Conference.

The academy currently operates at the Category Three level. Academy players can be promoted into the XI or first team, but due to EPPP rules, will still remain on youth contracts until a professional contract is offered. They play in the Football League Youth Alliance South-West Division and also compete in the FA Youth Cup.

Currently, Toby Steward and Harry Clout are notable academy graduates in the first team squad.

Academy team

Academy graduates (2009–present)

:Academy graduates who are still playing for Portsmouth, including those currently on loan to other clubs, are highlighted in green.

Information in the above table is current as of December 2020

Other notable academy graduates

;England England

• Darren Anderton
• Gary O'Neil
• Shaun Cooper
• Lewis Buxton
• James Keene
• Paris Cowan-Hall
• Rowan Vine
• Alan Knight
• Aaron Flahavan
• Sammy Igoe ;Wales Wales
• Kit Symons ;Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland
• Marc Wilson ;Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Asmir Begović ;Guernsey Guernsey
• Chris Tardif ;Jamaica Jamaica
• Deon Burton
• Darryl Powell

References

References

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/hampshire/content/articles/2007/10/17/pompey_academy_feature.shtml Soccer Starlets