Awford happy to crack on with dual Pompey role

The Academy boss has stepped up to join Guy Whittingham in the first-team management set-up in the wake of Michael Appleton’s departure.

But he is still in the top job for developing the club’s youngsters, even though his support staff and coaches have taken on extra responsibility recently.

While the former Blues skipper is enjoying his dual role, he knows it is impossible to perform them both to the best of his ability in the long term.

Awford said: ‘I’ve enjoyed it and I’d like to think the players have enjoyed it, too.

‘But I’ve also missed some of the involvement with the Academy.

‘I’m really fortunate that I have first-class staff at the Academy behind me.

‘We’ve got things in place and a lot of good people there so it all just runs. But I still have a handle on things to make sure they happen.

‘If I stay with the first team, then we would have to address things in the long term.

‘I was at schoolboy reviews the other night at 9pm after finishing all of the first-team stuff but I don’t mind that.

‘At the moment, I am happy to juggle the two and see where it all goes.

‘We are all happy to muck in and just get on with it.’

Caretaker boss Whittingham and Awford have yet to be given any long-term assurances with the club’s ownership still yet to be settled.

Awford said: ‘I will know how long we will be doing it as soon as anyone tells me.

‘I will have that conversation when I am told they want me to do the job on a permanent basis or they tell me differently.’