Former Pompey starlet Rew, 21, has penned a deal at Nyewood Lane and will be in the squad Birmingham and Jamie Howell select to face promotion-chasing Dover Athletic at home tomorrow.

Bognor are 11 points from safety and face second-in-the-table Athletic in a game that the visitors are desperate to win to reclaim top spot from Billericay Town.

Left-sided defender Rew made three starts for the Blues in the EFL Trophy and had trials at West Ham, Southampton, Sheffield United, Brighton and Millwall, before singing for Gosport when he left Fratton Park.

He subsequently played for AFC Totton before joining Horndean, under the guidance of then Deans boss Birmingham. Now he is a Bognor player and Birmingham said of the club’s latest recruit: “Harvey will be a great asset for us. He is an ex-Welsh schoolboy international and has a beautiful left foot, he is aggressive in the air and is still only 21.

“He is a left-hand-side centre half and that will allow Chad Field over to his natural side. He is very good in the air, reads the game well and he’s a top, top boy — and one thing with Harvey is, he wants to play football… and the word ‘trust’ is massive. It’s just a matter of getting him back on board, getting a smile on his face and he obviously trusts me and that’s why he has agreed to come over from Horndean.”