With three Cherries youngsters, Dan Thomas, Tim Stephenson and Danny Ings being given extended contracts at Dean Court, manager Eddie Howe is now challenging the trio to make the grade.
Howe is quoted in the Bournemouth Evening Echo as saying: "All three need to make big improvements and they need to continually work hard at their games, but I’m sure they will. We will give them every opportunity to be successful here. I believe, as a club, we need a successful youth policy to be successful. We’re always willing to give young players an opportunity to impress so, hopefully, all three will do that. They will be given a chance in training and they will be given some game-time as well. The rest is up to them. They have to make football their lives in the coming years. The biggest challenge for any young player is to make that breakthrough into the first team. It’s the hardest thing to do because you’re starting from scratch and you have no reputation behind you. To do that, you have to work extremely hard and live your life right off the pitch and make every effort and give yourself every chance to be successful. If you don’t, there are so many other players fighting for that same place, you will fall short. This is their big challenge now – to go on and cement a place in the team".