The story of Eddie Howe is what football fairy tales are made of. The man was with the club through its thick and thin and has perhaps been the most influential person in Bournemouth’s fantasy journey to the top tier of English football.
When Eddie Howe, retired from football in 2007, Bournemouth were playing in the fourth tier of English football. In his two spells at the club, he managed their progress through League One and the Championships to the glorious Premier League.
Bournemouth are in no mood to rest on their laurels and want to continue to grow in the Premier League. After securing a promotion in the 2014-15 season to the Premier League, they finished 16th on their first campaign in England’s premier club competition. They surprised everyone by doing even better and finished a record high ninth in the league last year. Things have been difficult this year with the club currently sitting in the 17th position. They have failed to find the net on a regular basis with the Cherries only scoring 22 goals in 22 league games.
However, with Eddie Howe in charge, the club can still hope to pull off more miracles and continue their footballing journey in England’s top flight. It now appears they have taken a step in the right direction after it was confirmed by reports that the club has agreed on an extension in the contract for Jack Simpson. The defender has signed a two and a half year extension of his contract.
In the modern era, where big money transfers have become the norm and a scouting network that has spread like a web to an extent that even a prospect with a glimpse of promise is snapped up in the blink of an eye, it is important for the clubs with lesser funds to find the right targets and more importantly use them well to win matches. It is in this light that the deal for Simpson signals a positive move for the Cherries.
The 21-year-old has managed to break into the first team this season and has made 3 senior team appearances. He featured in two league cup games against Middlesborough and later against Chelsea. He managed to win the hearts of the fans in his debut itself when he scored in the Cherries 3-1 win over Boro. He has also made an appearance in Bournemouth’s 4-0 league defeat to Manchester City.
The player signed for the club back when he was 12. He showed signs of great potential and was rewarded with a place in the first team squad at the age of 18. The player has trained with the first team ever since and now has the opportunity to become a regular as he plays out his new contract. It is vital for these clubs like Bournemouth to invest on the right talent and more importantly manage to churn out players from their academies in order to help them financially keep up with the big guns of the league.
