Emotional Portsmouth winger and former Liverpool ace opens up after achieving huge career milestone
Harvey Blair has opened up on achieving a life-long dream.
And the winger has revealed the message John Mousinho gave him after being handed his first start since October.
The 21-year-old was one of five changes made by the Blues for the 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, with their Championship survival already wrapped up.
It represented Blair’s first appearance in the starting line-up since the 6-1 defeat against Stoke City. And the former Liverpool youngster rewarded Mousinho with his maiden professional goal after he fired home Josh Murphy’s cross in the first half at Hillsborough.
His 23rd-minute effort cancelled out Callum Paterson’s early opener as the points were shared in the Steel City.
Indeed, an emotional Blair revealed his joy after netting his first senior goal.
He told The News: ‘It’s amazing, first goal, first professional goal and I'm literally just over the moon. Honestly it’s a day I’ve been dreaming about all my life so when it came I’m just buzzing.
‘Every single day of my life I’ve been working my socks off to try and get this opportunity to even play in professional football. I know that with all my hard work, something like this was going to come.
‘It sets me in good stead for next season, I’ve just got to make sure I keep going and keep working hard because I know that if I'm working hard it’ll come because I've got the ability.’
John Mousinho’s message to Harvey Blair
Pompey had already confirmed their place in the 2025-26 campaign prior to their trip to Hillsborough following Monday’s 1-0 win over Watford.
There were a number of surprise selections with Ben Killip being handed his Blues debut, while Blair was given the nod on the right-wing with Matt Ritchie given a deserved rest.
And after registering just his second start since his summer move from Liverpool last year, the Anfield academy graduate lifted the lid on the message the head coach gave him in the lead-up to the game.
‘Yesterday when we were training at St George’s Park I found out that I was in the starting team.
‘I said to myself ‘do you know what, don’t put too much pressure on yourself because I know I’ve got the ability inside and just think it’s like training, block everything out and just make sure you’re just at it.’
‘He said just show what I’ve been showing in training because he sees it in training every single day. He knows what I’m capable of.’