The former Liverpool winger has started eight games in two years at Fratton Park
As Jarell Quansah and Ben Gannon-Doak strive to shine on the World Cup stage, a fellow Liverpool graduate faces a pivotal Fratton Park season.
It was two years ago when Harvey Blair joined the international pair as Academy representatives in Arne Slott’s first friendly as Reds boss for a pre-season encounter with Real Betis.
Harvey Blair has started eight games in two years at Fratton Park. Picture: Simon Roe/ProSportsImagesplaceholder image
Harvey Blair has started eight games in two years at Fratton Park. Picture: Simon Roe/ProSportsImages | Simon Roe/ProSportsImages
Quansah is now at Bayer Leverkusen, where his Bundesliga performances earned membership to England’s World Cup squad, while Gannon-Doak is these days affiliated with Bournemouth and created John McGinn’s Scotland winner against Haiti.
Meanwhile, Blair has totalled 28 appearances in two years at Pompey since also leaving Anfield - and is now entering the final 12 months of his three-year deal.
Turning 23 in September, it represents a make-of-break season in the likeable winger’s Fratton Park career after an injury-blighted time on the south coast to date.
Reasons to be encouraged
There have been occasional glimpses, certainly enough to offer hope that potential exists and perseverance could yet be richly rewarded.
Injury has chiefly stunted the attacker’s development rather than ability and attitude, ongoing issues epitomised by his absence from the final match of last season against Birmingham.
Having secured safety with two games remaining, John Mousinho opted to present opportunities to his fringe players, with Blair among those handed starts at Stoke.
Pompey spent £300,000 to sign Harvey Blair from Liverpool in August 2024.placeholder image
Pompey spent £300,000 to sign Harvey Blair from Liverpool in August 2024. | Simon Roe/ProSportsImages
However, Blair was declared unavailable as a precautionary measure, having felt discomfort in his thigh. Instead he watched the 1-1 draw from the South Stand.
Whether through selection or injury, the winger has never started more than two successive matches during his time with the Blues. Indeed, he hasn’t featured in 56 per cent of the match-day squads since his August 2024 arrival.
Played in front of 77,559 fans against Manchester United
Certainly there were high hopes for Blair after capturing him in a £300,000 deal, having closely monitored the former Manchester United youngster for 12 months.
Liverpool pre-season tour commitments that summer had delayed the transfer, with the youngster totalling five appearances in America, including facing Manchester United in front of 77,559 in Columbia.
He also previously made one Carabao Cup appearance for the Reds, while featured three times in for their under-21s in the EFL Trophy.
A switch to Pompey represented the next stage of his development, the cherished opportunity for first-team minutes to drive his progress, except matters clearly haven’t gone according to plan. Yet.
In fairness, the horror injury inflicted by Hull’s Sean McLoughlin’s tackle in the final game of the 2024-25 season was so severe that the tendon in his hamstring was almost torn off the bone.
That blow set back Blair’s Pompey career by six months, perhaps even longer once he built himself back up to first-team levels again from his October 2025 return.
Then there was the hip flexor injury against Arsenal in January’s FA Cup clash at Fratton Park, sidelining the attacker for yet another seven matches. As it would turn out, he started just two more games that season.
Patience running out
There have been mitigating circumstances behind Blair’s struggles, yet eight starts in two years as a Pompey player is an uncomfortable statistic and, inevitably, the doubts are increasing.
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Whether Mousinho opts to loan him out for regular football or keep the youngster in house, a crucial season looms in the fledgling football career of Harvey Blair.
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