Eddie Howe targets England spot for Bournemouth's Jordan Ibe
Monday 25 July 2016 11:28, UK
Eddie Howe is aiming to turn new Bournemouth signing Jordon Ibe into an England international.
The Cherries boss signed Ibe from Liverpool for £15m earlier this month and the 20-year-old scored his first goal for his new club on Saturday in a 3-3 friendly draw with Portsmouth.
Howe, who was mooted as a potential England manager before Sam Allardyce was appointed on a two-year deal on Friday, believes playing for England's senior side should be Ibe's aim going forward.
"Jordon scored a good goal and we saw glimpses of what he can do," Howe said. "I am excited to work with him over a longer period of time.
"Hopefully Jordon can get in the full England squad. That has to be his aim and is certainly my aim, to take all these boys to new levels.
"If that means the national team then so be it. My only concern is getting them playing to their full potential for Bournemouth."
Ibe, who has represented England at youth levels from U18s to U21s, will also be joined by England U19 international Lewis Cook at Bournemouth after the midfielder joined from Leeds United for an initial £7m fee.
Howe has placed emphasis on bringing through young talent at Dean Court and believes there is a lot of potential in his squad ahead of the new season.
"We have always traditionally brought in young talent, moulded them and worked with them and made them better," Howe said. "I am really excited by the group we have: it's young, it's dynamic and there's a lot of potential for players to get better.
"This summer we have sold a couple of key players but we've replaced them hopefully with players of huge potential. I think that is the beauty, from my perspective: to work with such young players and try to get the best out of them."
Bournemouth, who finished 16th in the Premier League last season, will kick off their new campaign when they face Jose Mourinho's Manchester United at home on August 14.
