'Brilliant' Waterlooville defender handed first international call-up after blossoming Portsmouth progress
The 17-year-old former Crookhorn School pupil has been on the Blues’ books since the age of eight
A Waterlooville youngster is in the frame for his international debut after receiving a maiden call-up.
Pompey’s Ashton Sizer was among seven players put on stand-by for Wales’ Under-19s ahead of the launch of this week’s friendly tournament in Spain.
However, on Friday evening, the 17-year-old was promoted to the full squad - and has now linked up with Jon Grey’s side for their three-game schedule.
The second-year scholar has yet to feature for Pompey, although was named as an unused substitute for three Championship matches in the first half of the 2025-26 season.
The defender subsequently made three Blues appearances in pre-season, including Woking, Bristol Rovers and the behind-closed-doors friendly against Kuwait SC.
Well regarded by Portsmouth
The former Crookhorn School pupil is highly regarded at Fratton Park, able to operate at centre-half or right-back, and has featured nine times for the Academy this season.
Now Sizer, who qualifies for Wales through his Barry-born grandfather, has linked up with Wales Under-19s at their 10-day training camp in Marbella, Spain.
Ahead of their Euro qualifying campaign in November, the Dragons are to face the USA at the Banus Football Centre on Tuesday, before taking on Norway (October 2) at the Marbella Football Centre.
The Spanish tournament will conclude on Monday, October 5 with a fixture against Northern Ireland.
For Sizer, it will be the opportunity to catch the eye ahead of November matches against Finland, Iceland and Spain in the second round of the Euro qualifying campaign.
‘Ash is a really dominant centre-half’
Speaking about Sizer’s potential in December 2025, Mousinho told The News: ‘Ash has come and done brilliantly well with us. If we needed to fill the bench with other players, we would have done it, but we wanted him to be here.
‘Ash is a really good size for a 17-year-old and still a first-year pro. He played last season extensively for the Academy (under-18s) as an under-16.
‘He has come through and done brilliantly well, training with us quite a few times. He’s also been on our bench twice now and, with the issues we’ve had at centre-half, it was great to get him involved on Saturday.
‘Ash is a really dominant centre-half, very, very good on the ball as well, while has played a bit as a right-back when coming through, particularly when he first started playing for the Academy.
‘But he’s a dominant ball-playing centre-half who isn’t afraid to go and put his head in where it hurts.’
Sizer, a former Pompey season-ticker holder, has been with the Blues since the age of eight, while also featured in the summer friendly against Farnborough, which consisted entirely of Academy players after Mousinho’s first-team pulled out.
He featured in the centre of defence in July’s admirable 1-1 draw for Piero Mingoia’s promising side against the National League South outfit, watched by 1,178.