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Alfie Whiteman spent time on trial with Pompey during pre-season as he looked to earn a Fratton deal.

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Former Pompey triallist Alfie Whiteman has made a shock career decision- just months after training with the Blues.

The goalkeeper has announced he has hung up his gloves, aged 27, to pursue a fresh start in film production.

The shot stopper, who departed Spurs in the summer, spent a short period on trial with John Mousinho’s men in July as he went in search of a new footballing home, having spent 17 years in north London.

Alfie Whiteman’s Pompey trial

Whiteman featured twice for the Blues, with outings coming in a 2-0 pre-season triumph over Woking, as well as a win against Crawley in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

But the Europa League winner departed PO4 ahead of the season-opener against Oxford United, with the head coach admitting after a goalless draw with the Hawks that he was no longer training with Pompey.

Mousinho told The News at the time: ‘Alfie’s no longer with us on trial and he hasn’t been with us this week, but we’ll be keeping a keen eye on where Alfie ends up.’

In a later interview with The Athletic, Whiteman claimed he turned down the offer of an initial six-month deal to remain at Fratton Park and compete with Nicolas Schmid, Ben Killip and Jordan Archer for the No1 jersey.

The keeper, though, has made it clear his mind was already set on a change of career, which has since seen him turn his attention to the film and production industry.

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Why Alfie Whiteman called time on football career

After breaking through the ranks at Spurs, aged 10, the Londoner - who was capped 17 times for England at youth level - registered just one senior appearance for Tottenham during his 16-year association with the Premier League outfit and departed after their Europa League success in May.

Since then, Whiteman has lifted the lid on the reasons why he opted to bring his footballing career to a premature end - just months after his Pompey trial

He told The Athletic: ‘There was a weekend when I went home, and I started contemplating all my options. I had other things I’ve been building on the side and it was more exciting to me. To put it plainly, I saw happiness in these other avenues.

‘It got to this point where I’d rather end this on my terms than go to a club that I just didn’t want to go to.

‘When I was younger, I always said I didn’t want to play in the lower leagues; it was always about the highest level. Otherwise, I’d rather do something else. So I just took this step into the unknown, and I was like, “Oh, holy s***. I’m actually doing it.”.

‘Anything can happen. I’m in complete control of my life, and it’s really exciting and really scary.’

Whiteman has since signed for Somesuch, a film and production company, with the former Spurs man specialising in photography.

After departing Pompey in July, the keeper admitted he has not watched any football since - but is planning to film a documentary on the World Cup in the United States next year.

In the summer, Pompey added Josef Bursik to their goalkeeping pool, with the former Club Brugge man currently John Mousinho’s preferred stand-in for Schmid, who is currently out with a broken hand.

The Spurs arrival is adjusting to life in England after a Championship loan at QPR - but now his promising career has lift-off at Fratton Park.

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John Mousinho lauded Minhyeok Yang’s emergence as a Championship threat after a week to savour.

And the Pompey boss expressed his anticipation at the Spurs loanee having the self-belief to now kick on from a breakthrough period in his young career.

Tottenham arrival’s week to savour at Pompey

Yang bagged the winner as the Blues took the unbeaten scalp of Championship leaders Middlesbrough at Fratton Park on Saturday.

It was the South Korean international’s second goal in as many games, arriving in his third start on the spin after his full league bow at Ipswich last weekend.

Mousinho highlighted how the 19-year-old is still adjusting to not only a new football club, but new culture and level in the second tier of the English game.

Now the challenge is for the winger to bottle his growing self-belief and kick on from this point .

Mousinho said: ‘(It’s been) a brilliant week (for Yang). He’s made his full Pompey league debut against Ipswich, he didn’t get his goal but played okay there.

‘Then he was excellent the other night against Watford, but I thought he was even better against Middlesbrough. So that’s three starts in a week, two goals and he’s rightfully receiving all the plaudits.

‘He’s been in the country for less than a year, he’s new in the country and still learning the language.

‘He’s coming down to Portsmouth for the first time and trying to settle in. It’s a brilliant group to come into because the lads look after everyone so well.

‘But he would’ve come in and hardly played a league minute up to the Ipswich game. After his cameo against Oxford, his half hour there, he hadn’t played in the league at all until we started him against Ipswich.

‘I was very, very pleased for Minhyeok across the week, he deserves it, and I hope he’s very confident now going into the rest of the season.’

Yang’s progress helping to fill Murphy attacking void for Pompey

Mousinho underlined how victory over Middlesbrough arrived without arguably his most potent attacking threat in Josh Murphy. The standout winger was missing as he recovers from a niggling ankle issue, with Yang filling his berth in the side.

The Pompey boss was particularly pleased his side are finding a way to pick up points without Murphy, something they often struggled with last term.

He added: ‘It’s important we find ways to win and compete without Josh.‘It’s probably something we didn’t do particularly well last season, when he was missing at the start of the year.

‘We’re hoping to have him back pretty soon and have that fierce competition at the top end of the pitch. Minhyeok has stepped into the void and been excellent.’

The South Korean international has made three appearances for Pompey since his summer arrival

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John Mousinho is convinced Pompey are tantalisingly close to seeing the best of Minhyeok Yang.

Although he admits the Spurs loanee needs to ‘get better in a lot of areas’ following a low-key start to his Fratton Park stay.

The 19-year-old was handed a first Championship start for the Blues in Saturday’s trip to Ipswich, operating on the left flank with Josh Murphy still sidelined by an ankle issue.

It represented only a third Pompey outing for Yang, who had not appeared since lining up against Reading in a Carabao Cup defeat six weeks earlier.

And, ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Watford (7.45pm), Mousinho believes there are now encouraging signs the South Korean international is beginning to find his feet with the Blues.

Portsmouth boss: I’m looking for a cutting edge

He told The News: ‘Minhyeok put himself into a really good position for that chance, it’s a brilliant run and a great ball as well from Segs. He does Darnell Furlong for pace for, but he doesn't necessarily have that clinical edge in front of goal at the moment.

‘Maybe it was because of the nature of the game, the fact we were setting up to hit them on the counter and maybe he didn’t expect to have a chance to do that.

‘He will definitely learn from it and it was really nice to see him in that position, nice to see him having a few good touches.

‘He needs to get better in a lot of areas, but certainly it was a step up in terms of how dangerous he looks compared to the Reading game.

‘I’m looking for that cutting edge, first of all. Minhyeok also put in a couple of good balls in the first half, he has that drop of the shoulder, he’s not necessarily going to be out-and-out pace down the line, but he can beat a man in different ways.

‘I just want to see more of that attacking output. We definitely saw it last season when he was playing for QPR, I thought he was excellent in spells for them. Once he gets going we will see a load more of him.

‘He’s going to take a couple of games to get going. Hopefully he’s had those two games and we are close now to seeing the best of Minhyeok.’

Arrived in the Premier League with Spurs in January

Yang arrived at Spurs from Gangwon FC in January and was swiftly loaned out to QPR for the remainder of the season to aid his development.

Aged 18 at the time, he subsequently made 14 appearances and scored twice for the Championship club, including featuring as a second-half substitute against Pompey in February.

Although he has still to make his Spurs first-team debut and is now on a season-long stay at Fratton Park.

‘A baptism of fire’

Mousinho added: ’He’s only been in this country since January and it was a baptism of fire going straight out on loan to QPR.

‘Minhyeok is one of those players who’s had a bit of a stop-start pre-season. He has been with the first-team a fair bit at Tottenham and probably not necessarily used as someone they were thinking of having there longer term, they wanted to loan him out.

‘Sometimes, when you are in that position, training can be a bit stop-start. The under-21s a lot of the time are used for the first-team’s benefit, which is absolutely fine and how it should be.

‘But it’s not necessarily the pre-season he might have had should he have been involved with the first-team.’

Jermain Defoe scored 17 goals in 36 appearances for Pompey between 2008 and 2009.

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Former Pompey striker Jermain Defoe has backed his former side to come out on top in Sunday’s south-coast derby.

And the 42-year-old has given an intriguing insight into how he prepared for a high-level occasion during his playing days.

John Mousinho’s men make the trip across the M27 to St Marys to face the Saints in the first meeting between the two sides for six years.

It’s a fixture which is wetting the appetite of fans, pundits and players alike as the two fierce rivals once again battle for south-coast supremacy.

Although Defoe never appeared in a derby during his 12-month stay at Fratton Park between 2008 and 2009, the striker recalled a conversation with Harry Redknapp which enlightened him over the hatred between the two clubs.

And the former England international, who netted 17 goals in 36 appearances for the Blues, has backed his former side to come out on top at St Marys.

Jermain Defoe backs Pompey against Southampton

He told BBC Radio Solent: ‘I remember having a conversation with Harry Redknapp about it. He loved them (the derby) but it’s definitely up there.

Although I never played in one, my time at Portsmouth meant I got a few comments from Southampton fans.

‘I know how big that derby is and I’ll be looking out for the result. I hope they do well to be honest.

‘It’s one of those games where, like any derby, you should get the best version of every player. Bragging rights for the fans and the players and everyone involved in that.

‘I feel like sometimes in derbies, regardless of form, it’s a one off game. My affiliation with the football club, I played for Pompey for a year, we had an amazing team and Fratton Park was always rocking. Even when I played for Tottenham and other clubs, going to Fratton Park was always difficult.

‘Southampton are a fantastic football club. I’ll look out for the result and obviously being an ex-Pompey player I hope they win.

While Defoe never lined-up for Pompey against Southampton, the former striker is well-accustomed to bitter rivals having featured for the likes of Rangers, Spurs and Sunderland.

And the former Fratton Park frontman has given an intriguing insight into how he used to prepar for a derby.

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Jermain Defoe reveals key derby preparation

‘I tried to play the game and not the occasion. I know it’s boring and you hear that a lot but you have to play the game and just try to prepare yourself like it’s any other game.

‘It’s the biggest game of the season, of course, in terms of fixtures, but at the same time I always tried to stay relaxed and play the game and not the occasion. When you’ve performed and you’ve won, then you can really celebrate.

‘Obviously the Tottenham - Arsenal game, Sunderland - Newcastle and the Old Firms between Rangers and Celtic were always big games.

‘For players, you will always try to find a bit more because of the size and the magnitude of the game. At the same time, you have to just play the game because it can get the better of you.’

He spent time with Pompey this summer before moving on - now the keeper is said to be interesting the SPL and French Ligue 1 sides. Blackburn Rovers, Oxford United and Stoke City were all said to be keen on the triallist.

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Scottish Premier League outfit Aberdeen are keen on former Pompey triallist Alfie Whiteman, according to reports.

And French top-flight side Nice are said to be trailing the keeper, who spent time with the Blues in pre-season, after leaving Spurs.

Aberdeen and Ligue 1 side Nice on former Spurs man’s trail

Whiteman was a surprise face joining John Mousinho’s group in July, as they got their warm-up games underway.

The 26-year-old featured in the 2-0 opening success at Woking and then played the second half of the 1-0 behind-closed-doors victory against Crawley.

Pompey opted against offering the Londoner a deal, however, with Whiteman still on the hunt for a new employer.

Aberdeen are said to be weighing up handing the 6ft 2in man a contract, according to SportsBoom, with that meaning he would link up with former Blues men Kusini Yengi and Adil Aouchiche at Pittodrie. The report says Blackburn, Oxford United and Stoke City were among those also showing interest in the keeper this summer.

Whiteman had a long association with Spurs, joining their academy a decade ago and then sealing a three-year deal three years later.

He picked up just a single senior appearance in that time for the Londoners, coming off the bench in the Europa League against Ludogorets in 2020.

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Whiteman picked up a medal for being part of the Spurs squad though, as they won the Europa League against Manchester United in May. That meant he left the club on a high this summer, as he searches for the playing time he’s not managed to pick up in his career to date.

Pompey turned their attentions elsewhere this summer for a new keeper, after Isle of Wight man Stuart Moore linked up with Mousinho’s squad for their pre-season training camp in Slovakia.

Moore moved on and was handed a deal with League One outfit Wycombe, before Mousinho confirmed Whiteman had done likewise towards the end of July.

Pompey keeper department strong after Bursik deal

He said after the 0-0 draw with Hawks: ‘Alfie is no longer with us on trial, and he hasn’t been with us this week, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on where Alfie ends up.’

Pompey instead turned to former Stoke man Josef Bursik to bolster the goalkeeping department, as he arrived from Belgian side Club Brugge.

The News first reported the Blues’ interest in the former England age-group keeper in July, before he became the club’s first deadline day capture.

Mousinho said of Bursik: ‘He’s someone who showed a lot of promise as a youngster and has played plenty of Championship games. He really bolsters the options we’ve got in the goalkeeping department and is a target that’s been in our sights for a while now, so we’re delighted to get the deal done.”

Bursik joins Nico Schmid, Jordan Archer and Ben Killip as Pompey’s current goalkeeper options, with emerging talent Toby Steward impressing on loan at St Johnstone in the Scottish Championship.

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The latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s Championship rivals.

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It was a busy climax to the transfer window for Pompey, who added four new faces to the squad.

Franco Umeh, Josef Bursik, Makenzie Kirk and Conor Chaplin all sealed moves to Fratton Park on deadline day, joining Adrian Segecic, Mark Kosznovszky, Luke Le Roux, John Swift, Florian Bianchini, Minhyeok Yang and Josh Knight who arrived earlier in the summer.

Meanwhile, Abdoulaye Kamara and Tom McIntyre both departed before the end of the market, sealing switches to Saarbrucken and Bradford City respectively.

Although the window has slammed shut, clubs can still bolster their ranks with the additions of free agents.

And that is what a number of Championship sides are looking to do, with clubs eyeing further additions.

Here are the latest transfer headlines involving Pompey’s second-tier rivals.

Swans swoop for Alli

Swansea City are believed to be eyeing a swoop to land former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli.

That’s according to talkSPORT football correspondent Ben Jacobs, who has claimed the Swans’ co-owner Luka Modric is in contact with a number of experienced free agents over a switch to South Wales.

It has been suggested a move could be on the cards over the next few weeks following the 29-year-old’s departure from Italian outfit Como.

Alli has struggled for game time and minutes over the past 12 months and registered just one outing for the Serie A side during his short stint with the club.

The ex-Everton man fell down the pecking order with boss Cesc Fabregas and mutually agreed to terminate his contract earlier this week.

The 37-cap England international could be given a pathway back into English football, with Jacobs suggesting a shock Championship switch could be a possibility.

He said on talkSPORT: ‘I think Swansea City is going to be really interesting because Luka Modric is now part of that ownership group. From what I’m told, he’s having conversations with slightly older players and free agents to try and lure them over there.

‘It wouldn’t at all surprise me from what I here that Swansea City and Dele Alli becomes a thing over the course of the next few weeks.

‘I think Dele Alli won’t get an opportunity in my opinion in a big five league after it didn’t work out at Como but maybe a Championship club on a short-term deal.’

Swansea have had a solid start to the season to date and sit level on points with Pompey after the opening four Championship matches.

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Rovers keen on defender

Blackburn Rovers are reportedly keen on signing defender Craig Dawson.

Alan Nixon has suggested Rovers are looking to strengthen their ranks at the heart of the backline, with the 35-year-old believed to be wanted at Ewood Park.

The centre-back is said to have been weighing up his options following his departure from Wolves at the end of last season.

Valerian Ismael’s men lost forgotten former Pompey loanee Dom Hyam on deadline day, who sealed a £2m move to Wrexham.

That has left Rovers with just two options at the centre of defence, with Dawson admired in Lancashire.

Blackburn have had a tough start to the campaign, losing three of their first four Championship matches and sit four points behind the Blues.

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There’s two days left of the summer transfer window - and the former Middlesbrough and QPR man could still be on his way from Fratton Park.

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The door is still open for Jordan Archer’s Pompey exit as the transfer window reaches its climax.

John Mousinho has confirmed the keeper can still move on before Monday evening’s deadline to find the regular football he’s seeking.

Pompey ‘won’t stand’ in keeper’s way

But the Blues boss is happy for Archer to stay put at PO4, as he praised the former Spurs and Middlesbrough man’s ongoing professionalism amid an uncertain period.

Archer has been linked with an exit in recent weeks, with interest from League Two side Salford City not developing into a departure.

The 32-year-old wants the playing time which is looking increasingly unlikely at Pompey, after falling further down the goalkeeping pecking order after Ben Killip’s arrival.

Archer played three times last season, including two Championship outings, and showed himself to be a dependable back-up in Nico Schmid’s absence.

It remains to be seen if any late opportunities arise for the Londoner over the next couple of days, but the situation remains a live one for the keeper.

And from Pompey’s point of view, it’s a scenario Mousinho remains comfortable with despite two days of the window remaining.

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Mousinho said: ‘Jordan’s another one where his future is up in the air, I’m not sure if Jordan will end up going out.

‘He’s been great for us in training and there’s been a little bit of interest, but nothing which has been right for him.

‘With Jordan it’s a case of if he finds something he wants to take and it’s a good opportunity for him we won’t stand in his way.

‘If not though we are happy having him in the building.

‘For Jordan he wants to go and play games, that’s always been the conversation we’ve had. So if there is an opportunity for him to go and play then great.

‘But Jordan isn’t a player who’s caused any issues at all, he’s been in really good form in pre-season actually. So in a lot of ways it’s great to have him around.’

New keeper to arrive at Fratton if Archer leaves

Mousinho has already made it clear Pompey will need to be ready to react to Archer’s departure if it arises, by recruiting another keeper to come in alongside Schmid and Killip.

Academy graduate Toby Steward is thriving on loan at St Johnstone in the Scottish Championship, after finishing last season with an impressive stay with Crawley in League One.

While the goalkeeping department is a fluid situation, the need for reinforcements further forward is more apparent.

Pompey know they need to bolster their options out wide with Matt Ritchie joining Reading on Thursday, and Callum Lang sidelined for up to 12 weeks after hamstring surgery.

That leaves loaness Florian Bianchini and Minhyeok Yang likely vying to start on the right flank against Preston today, if Adrian Segecic is deployed centrally.

Mousinho has also been clear about the need for Pompey to bolster the striker department, with Colby Bishop and Thomas Waddingham the considerations to lead the line.

Pompey are keen on St Johnstone striker Makenzie Kirk, with Crystal Palace winger Franco Umeh under consideration out wide.

The South Korea international has been backed by John Mousinho after a tough Reading debut, with the Blues boss sending a message to fans over the winger.

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John Mousinho urged Pompey fans to show patience with Minhyeok Yang after a difficult Pompey baptism.

And the Blues boss has called on the South Korea international to carry on trying to make things happen, as things went against the Spurs man on his Fratton bow.

Patience needed with Spurs man after Fratton arrival

Yang had a tough debut in the 2-1 loss to Reading on Tuesday night, as a bright start evolved into a difficult evening in the Carabao Cup exit to the League One side.

The 19-year-old’s full debut came four days on from signing on loan for the season, with a 23-minute cameo arriving last weekend in the league opener at Oxford United.

Mousinho highlighted how it’s been a whirlwind period for the former QPR loanee, as he was given a crash course in what is expected of him and the demands of playing for his new boss’ side.

Yang was a long way from being the only Pompey to come up short, with a host of players failing to perform in the Royals reverse

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Fellow debut-making pair Ibane Bowat and Mark Kosznovsky couldn’t hit the ground running, while the likes of Hayden Matthews and Jacob Farrell were making their first appearances after significant periods on the sidelines.

Mousinho took encouragement from the fact Yang continued in his efforts to be creative for the entirety of the evening, despite things not going for him.

The Pompey boss feels the former Gangwon FC man deserves to be given some time to bed in, along with his fellow new faces.

Mousinho said: ‘I think Minhyeok was definitely trying his best to make something happen. He had a really bright start to the game, nearly got in once or twice and had a couple of shots.

Pompey boss: Yang and all new signings need ‘patience’

‘Maybe it was a reflection of where we were in the game, that when we went a goal down there maybe was a bit of trying to force play.

‘But that’s fine, I do want wingers to be direct and I do want wingers to try to make things happen. Sometimes that falls on the wrong side of a decent performance.

‘But there’s no issue there, Minhyeok had been with us for two days before the game. He doesn’t know the system, he doesn’t know the way we want to play.

‘We tried to put him out with as much instruction as possible, but sometimes you can overdo that as a coach as well.

‘He would have been really keen to get things going, but I think with Minhyeok and all the new signings a little bit of patience is definitely warranted.

‘We speak about how long it takes to come in adjust to how we want to play, the system and the press.

‘It is quite specific in terms of the way we want to do things and there are different demands perhaps to what a player may have been used to - so it can take a minute for people to get going.’

The former Millwall, Fulham and Middlesbrough man has been told he can leave Fratton Park. Here’s the latest from John Mousinho.

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John Mousinho has revealed Pompey are still open to letting Jordan Archer leave before the close of the transfer window.

But the Blues will only look to recruit a new keeper if the former Spurs and QPR man departs before September 1.

Pompey boss: If Archer wants to go, that’s fine

Archer is potentially looking to move on as he searches for the football he’s not likely to find at Fratton Park this term - with potential interested parties.

The 32-year-old is now third choice keeper behind Nico Schmid and Ben Killip, as he enters the final season of his existing agreement.

League Two side Salford City were keen on Archer before they brought in Mark Howard after he left Wrexham, with Sunderland youngster Matty Young moving to the club on loan for the season.

Mousinho is relaxed about the position of the man who made three appearances last term, though it’s clear it will be hard for Archer to get more Pompey minutes with Killip preferred against Reading in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

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Pompey have aired the notion of bringing in a fourth keeper for training purposes, with that aiding the ability to play full training games.

Former Morecambe man Stuart Moore joined the group as they went to Slovakia for their pre-season training camp, before the Isle of Wight man joined League One outfit Wycombe. Alfie Whiteman also spent some time with Pompey, after his summer Spurs exit.

Mousinho seem happy to park bringing in a new keeper now, however, unless Archer leaves.

The Pompey boss said: ‘We’re okay in terms of the goalkeeping situation.

‘We’ve been open in terms of Jordan Archer’s situation, whether he’s going to leave or stay at the club.

‘If Jordan is still here after the transfer window closes then no problem, but if he wants to go and get game time somewhere and we can make that move happen then that’s absolutely fine. We’d then have to recruit underneath that.’

Plenty of interest in former Spurs and Middlesbrough man

There’s now just over two weeks left for clubs to complete their summer recruitment business, with Mousinho revealing clubs are interested in Archer. The Pompey boss explained it has to be a move which works for the Londoner, however, with an opening which allows him to get the playing time he wants.

Mousinho added: ‘We’re just being open and honest with each other about Jordan’s position.

‘There’s been plenty of interest in him, just nothing concrete that has piqued both his and the club’s interest. That’s at the minute anyway.

‘Maybe something will happen late, you never know. It’s a strange position, goalkeeper.

‘A lot of people are willing to have two or three people competing for one position, but with goalkeepers you tend to go in for a very specific reason.

‘That’s whether you’re a three, a two or you’re going to start games - so there needs to be a specific opening (for Archer).’

The South Korea international made his Blues debut at Oxford United

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John Mousinho believes Minhyeok Yang showed ‘glimpses’ on his debut - and has revealed how the Spurs loanee fits into his Pompey first-team.

The 19-year-old replaced Florian Bianchini in the 66th minute of Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Oxford United in the Championship opener.

Operating on the left wing, it represented the Fratton faithful’s first look of the South Korea international’s talents, having arrived at Fratton Park the previous day.

Yang initially caught Mousinho’s eye during a QPR scouting mission in February, when he watched the attacker start in a 4-0 victory over Derby.

And, having subsequently monitored his progress, the Blues have secured the highly-regarded youngster on a season-long loan from Spurs.

Portsmouth boss: He brings a lot of excitement to us

Mousinho told The News: ‘You probably saw glimpses of how sharp Minhyeok is on the left wing.

‘I first saw him last season at QPR, they played Derby on a Friday night and he was superb, a thorn in their side. I was pretty pleased actually that he didn’t start the following week at Fratton Park, although he came on and did well.

‘He’s a player we have been monitoring. Tottenham, rightly, have very, very high hopes for him and he’d been away with them on a pre-season tour, so we had to wait patiently to bring that loan in.

‘He can play on either flank - on the left or right - and brings a lot of excitement to us.

‘Minhyeok is very sharp, you saw that when he was flagged offside, but the players didn’t realise and he nearly got in. He’s a skilful player, a tricky one to deal with, and I suppose a bit of a different profile if you look at the wingers we’ve got.

‘Everyone knows Murph in terms of his ability, while we saw glimpses of Flo (Bianchini) and what he can provide, I actually thought Flo grew into the game really well in the second half, but we were just concerned over the lack of full pre-season he’s had and lack of minutes over the last 3-4 months.

‘We have seen Langy in a 10, but he is a direct winger, whereas Minhoef is maybe slightly more comfortable inside, a bit more jinky, a slightly different profile.

‘He’s had a stop-start pre-season because, for the past couple of weeks when we’ve been monitoring that as a loan, he hasn’t played a huge amount for Spurs. But we are looking to build up his fitness.’

Two pre-season outings for Spurs

After linking up with Spurs in January, Yang moved on loan to QPR for the second half of last season, making 14 appearances, scoring twice and producing one assist.

This summer, he featured twice during the Premier League club’s pre-season under new head coach Thomas Frank, most recently for four minutes after James Maddison was stretchered off against Newcastle.

And Mousinho believes Yang will be able to cope with the Championship’s physicality.

‘He’s not the biggest, that’s fine’

He added: ‘I have seen him cope with the level, he is game. He’s not the biggest, that's fine, there are plenty of players like that, Adrian Segevic isn’t the biggest, but he certainly coped with the physicality on Saturday, although you need that balance.

‘Of course we want to have big, solid, dominant players, at the same time you need players who can handle the ball and, if you find someone who can do both, that’s ideal.

‘I have seen enough of him last season to know he has plenty at the table.’