This week saw AFC Bournemouth reach the top-flight for the
first time in their history thanks to a 3-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers.
Their remarkable rise started in the 2009-10 season when
they won promotion from League Two under the guidance of manager Eddie Howe,
who is rightfully acknowledged as one of the brightest young managers in
English football. This was followed by further promotions in the 2012-13
campaign and this current season.
The Cherries’ journey to the Premiership was aided by four
players with South Devon connections, who each played different roles for Howe’s
side.
They include former England Under-21 right-back Adam Smith
who enjoyed an 18-game loan spell at Plainmoor during the 2009-10 season from
Tottenham Hotspur.
With first team opportunities at White
Hart Lane hard to come by, Smith first joined the Cherries during
the 2010-11 campaign on loan; he made 38 appearances and scored once.
Smith made a solitary appearance for Spurs against Fulham
during the 2011-12 season. Further loan spells at MK Dons, Leeds United,
Millwall and Derby County
Whilst Smith was on loan at Torquay, he briefly appeared
alongside Eunan O’Kane following the Irishman’s move to the Gulls from Northern
Irish side Coleraine.
After starting his career with Premiership giants Everton,
O’Kane had returned home following his release by the Toffees. He arrived at
Plainmoor in January 2010, as he looked to resurrect his career.
O’Kane soon established himself as a first team regular for
the Gulls, firstly under Paul Buckle and then under Martin Ling.
However, it was under the guidance of Ling that he truly
flourished in the 2011-12 season. He capped a memorable campaign by being named
in the League Two Team of the Year, along with teammates Bobby Olejnik, Kevin
Nicholson and Lee Mansell.
One highlight of the campaign for O’Kane was the brace his
scored against Plymouth Argyle in November 2011. The second of his two goals
was a 40-yard lob over Pilgrims’ keeper Romain Larrieu, which helped the Gulls
to record their first league win over Argyle since 1972.
Whilst at Plainmoor, he represented both Northern
Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland
In the summer of 2012, after making 122 appearances and
scoring 14 goals, the Cherries paid Torquay £175,000 to take O’Kane to Dean Court . Since he joined the Cherries, O’Kane helped
them to win promotion to the Championship and has been linked with several
Premiership clubs.
More recently, Baily Cargill was loaned to the Gulls by the
Cherries towards the end of the 2013-14 season and made five appearances.
Following his return to Dean Court , Cargill
has broken into the Cherries’ first team and has been called up to the England
Under-20 squad.
In the summer of 2014, the trio were joined at Dean Court by the Brixham-born former Plymouth Argyle
midfielder Dan Gosling.
After making his professional debut for the Pilgrims in 2006
against Hull City ,
as a 16-year old, Gosling became the first player to leave Home Park
Whilst at Goodison Park , Gosling scored the winning goal in an FA Cup tie
against the Toffees’ arch-rivals Liverpool
in 2009. However an error by ITV, who were broadcasting the match live, meant
that the millions of viewers across the country missed the goal.
Everton then went on to reach the final of the competition,
where they were beaten by Chelsea, and Gosling appeared in the final as a
substitute.
Nevertheless a year later, after failing to agree a new
contract with Everton, Gosling left Goodison
Park
His time with the Magpies proved to be less than successful
as the form of Chieck Tiote and Yohan Cabaye ensured that first team football
was hard to come by at St James Park.
Last season, he joined Blackpool
on loan and made 14 appearances and scored twice before signing for the
Cherries.
So, as the Cherries embark on their first Premiership
campaign next season, there will be many interested observers from Devon
keeping a keen eye on events at the Goldsands Stadium.
