Meet the ex-Arsenal starlet who is Portsmouth's Academy's 15-goal leading scorer - from wing-back

Koby Mottoh struck from the penalty spot in Tuesday night’s 5-0 hammering of Andover New Street in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

It continues a remarkable goal-scoring season for the 16-year-old enjoying his maiden Blues campaign following his release from Arsenal.

Mottoh trialled at Fratton Park last summer, earning a two-year scholarship, and his ongoing development has caught the eye.

A natural right winger, approximately 80 per cent of his Pompey outings have come in a right wing-back role.

Nonetheless, the goals have flowed, with 15 in 18 appearances – and the only under-18 player to reach double figures.

Academy assistant boss Sam Hudson told The News: ‘Koby has a knack of being in the right place at the right time. I’m sure he will remind me later that he’s still top scorer!

‘He spends a lot of time working on performing in and out of possession and also improving his left foot to make sure he can attack both ways.

‘But the foundation of every performance is your hard-work and running – and he gives that consistently up and then down.

‘The way the game’s going now, you have to be able to impact both boxes and Koby earns the right to score goals through his ability to cover ground and he gets fitter every game.

‘He was predominantly a right winger at Arsenal but we wanted to try him as the wing-back to get the defensive aspect of it. That’s part of his overall development.

‘If you want to be a professional footballer and a wide player/wing-back you must be able to attack and create, particularly in League One, when you need to support your full-back and defend the back post and corners.

‘If we prepare Koby, for example, as right winger, right wing-back and even a right-back, then we cover all bases, his overall game becomes a lot more developed.

‘Koby’s goals have largely come from timing, though. If you time those forward runs right and are constantly in the right areas, even if the ball doesn’t necessarily come to you clearly, you have deserved your goal through your efforts and timing.’

Mottoh came off the bench to net Pompey’s final goal in October’s 5-2 victory over Southampton in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

On Tuesday night, he was joined on the scoresheet by Adam Payce (two), Jamie Howell and substitute Gabriel Kamavuako in the 5-0 success over Division One Wessex Football League side Andover New Street.

Pompey now await to discover their opposition in the quarter-finals of the Hampshire Senior Cup – the same stage they reached last season.