Tottenham youngster Harvey White will now pick up some valuable experience of playing first-team football after joining Portsmouth on loan for the remainder of the season.
Making a huge impression in the club's academy, the talented midfielder has been training alongside the rest of the Spurs first team at Hotspur Way over the past year.
Named on the bench a few times by Jose Mourinho, the 19-year-old was handed his senior bow for the Lilywhites in November in the 4-0 Europa League win over Ludogorets.
Only playing the final minutes of the victory over the Bulgarian side, he then followed it up with 90 minutes in the 5-0 FA Cup triumph over non-league side Marine earlier this month.
Due to the amount of players ahead of him in the pecking order at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Mourinho and his staff have now decided that the time is right for White to head out on loan and play consistently week in, week out as Portsmouth push for promotion to the Championship.
"I spoke to him [Mourinho] in the training ground and that he is happy for me to get some experience," revealed White.
"It’s probably the right thing to do because the club knew that I have learned a lot over the last eight months being with the first team and now both me and the club want to put it into action and for the me to play against men week in, week out and fight for promotion."
Although White may only have been limited to two senior appearances for Spurs this term, what will have benefited him is working every single day with world-class players at the club's Enfield base.
Boasting the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele, Moussa Sissoko and Giovani Lo Celso in midfield, White has the perfect set of teammates to aid his development.
Hojbjerg may have only been with the youngster for four months following his summer move from Southampton but he has so far played a pivotal role in improving his game.
"I have learned a lot. Hojbjerg coming into Spurs, he’s like a gladiator type player, never stops working hard and he would always come and talk to me about if I did this right in training, didn’t do this right which was always helpful," revealed the Maidstone-born player.
"Also players like Harry Winks I would learn off but sometimes when you are training, you are watching and absorbing everything that they say and do.
"Not just from the midfielders but from the whole squad and the fact that they are all top professionals and all of them are at the top of their game and just trying to take as much stuff in so you can learn."
White's full debut for the club came in rather different circumstances as Tottenham were paired against non-league side Marine in the FA Cup.
With a staggering 161 places separating the sides in the football ladder ahead of the game in Crosby, it was a truly memorable occasion for White and the rest of the players involved at the Marine Travel Arena.
"It was amazing. It was a great experience to put on that Tottenham shirt and play a full 90 minutes against Marine which was a historical game," explained White.
"There was no fans there but there was people sitting in gardens, hanging out of windows so it did feel like a full stadium. It was just a great feeling, great to win and just a great day.
"It was a weird game because they are in the eighth tier of English football and you would never think you would play in a game like this, even though it was the FA Cup which has some crazy fixtures.
"Once we knew we were drawn against them, we just had to be professional and go and do the job."
Taking on the non-league side in his last appearance, White will now be eyeing up his full Portsmouth debut as Kenny Jackett's side push for promotion to the Championship.
Pompey are in a very good position to return to England's second tier for the first time since 2012 as they sit in third and four points behind leaders Lincoln City with a game in hand.
Clearly pleased to be a part of the Portsmouth squad for what should be a very interesting end to the season, White revealed that the size of the club and the manager at the helm made it an easy decision to head to Fratton Park.
"Just how big the club are, that they are fighting for promotion high up the table and the manager really," said the academy graduate when asked why he plumped for Portsmouth.
"I knew the manager when he was at Spurs, I didn’t know him too well because I think I was about Under-14 or Under-15 when he came to Spurs but I knew who he was."
White will be hoping to make his Portsmouth debut on Tuesday evening against AFC Wimbledon or at the weekend when Hull City travel to the south coast.
