Wednesday 29 April 2015 11:51, UK
Jamie Redknapp reflects on growing up at Bournemouth - and why they can compete in the Premier League...
When I was growing up in Bournemouth, I’d never have believed you if you’d told me they’d be in the Premier League one day. It’s an amazing story.
Manager Eddie Howe and the club’s Russian owner, Maxim Demin, deserve so much credit. The players, supporters and everyone associated with the club have so much to look forward to next season.
I spent pretty much my whole childhood growing up there and when my dad was manager I was at Dean Court nearly every school holiday, cleaning Luther Blissett’s boots, painting the stands, cleaning the toilets, sweeping the dressing rooms…
It’s a lovely club. I moved away when I was 17 but only because I wanted to get away from the slow way of life down there. You could easily get sucked into the relaxed lifestyle and go down to the beach every day.
But Howe has got an exciting young group of players together there now and, even if the town is still quite sleepy, Dean Court – or Goldsands Stadium as it’s called now – has been rocking on Saturday afternoons this season.
The whole team play with freedom and excitement. It’s a joy to watch. I can’t wait to see how they do in the Premier League.
The players there are like a band of brothers. In the nicest possible way, they are players who weren’t good enough elsewhere. Harry Arter wasn’t good enough for Charlton, Tommy Elphick fell down the pecking order at Brighton, Matt Ritchie didn’t get much of a chance at Portsmouth.
But they’ve come together at Bournemouth and found a manager who really believes in them and has given them confidence. Now they look like a brilliant bunch of young players.
Premier class
The whole team play with freedom and excitement. It’s a joy to watch. I can’t wait to see how they do in the Premier League.
It’s a long way off but I reckon they’ll stay up next season, too.
What’s important is they keep the nucleus of that squad together but they’ll definitely invest, as well. They’ve got a good recruitment policy there and they’ll go and handpick the best young players in the Championship and League One.
You wouldn’t want a couple of big hitters going in there, thinking they’re better than anyone else. You want new players to buy into the team ethic and work rate they’ve got there. I’d be amazed if Howe goes and buys expensive players – he’ll be looking for young, hungry lads who can carry on the way they’ve been playing.
It doesn’t matter how their turnover compares to other Premier League clubs. The important thing is the players on the pitch. And Bournemouth’s boys will relish their chance to take on the best.
The biggest problem they’ll have next season is holding onto Eddie Howe. In the near future every club is going to want this young manager.
That’s because every club is crying out for someone who’ll play young players and give them a chance, bring players through, develop them and improve them. He’s got that gift.
No doubt he’ll be there at the start of next season but if he has a good six months, people will be looking at him.
I’ve got a lot of time for him; he’s not over-confident or brash but he gets the best out of his players. That’ll make him very attractive to Premier League clubs further down the line but, for now, he deserves to enjoy this fantastic achievement.
