With the Cherries sealing promotion to the second tier, manager Eddie Howe speaks of his skipper, Tommy Elphick and the impact he's had on the playing squad plus the Player Of The Season awards he's now picked up.
Speaking in the Bournemouth Evening Echo, Howe is quoted as saying: "I am really pleased for Tommy and he is fully deserving of the award. He has been a key man for us. From my perspective, he is an important member of the squad, not just on the pitch but off it as well. He has been a pivotal figure with his leadership skills. I am full of admiration for him and his performances on the pitch, which are the most important thing, have been very consistent. The biggest compliment I can pay Tommy is that he is probably a bit of a throwback in terms of a centre-half. Very rarely do you get young players coming through with his characteristics in terms of his leadership skills and his voice, which he uses to really good effect. He is also not frightened to say bits and pieces to certain people and to demand more from individuals and the team. These are special characteristics and you need them at the base of any team. You always choose you captain very carefully because there are so many boxes he has to tick. The beauty with Tommy is that he ticks them all. He is dependable and reliable and has all the qualities you need from your captain. He lives his life correctly, which is another key component. He is certainly a role model for everybody to look up to and to say ‘that is how you want to behave’.