Cooke Joins

Stephen Cooke has officially signed and become a Bournemouth player. Speaking to the Clubs Official Web Site he is quoted as saying: "Its great to be back in Bournemouth, I know most of the lads from my two previous loan spells with the club, and I can't wait to get into pre-season training. As soon as I knew Bournemouth were in for me I was interested. They play the game the right way, and obviously my time here in the past was a major factor in my decision to come".

In an interview with the Bournemouth Evening Echo, he is quoted as saying: "Towards the end of my time at Villa, I knew I wanted to get away. It was obvious I wasn't going to be there in the future and I just wanted a fresh start somewhere else. I don't feel I have anything to prove to them - but I have something to prove to myself. I'm not bitter about leaving them. I just want to prove to myself that I am good enough to play in this division - and that means playing a whole season, rather than just a few games on loan".