AFC Bournemouth
afcb.co.uk has been speaking to some of the key figures in AFC Bournemouth's rise from League Two to the Premier League, including Steve Lovell.
Not being able to sign for the club in the summer of 2009 was hugely frustrating. The transfer embargo meant it couldn’t happen so I ended up going to Partick Thistle, which was close to where I was living in Scotland.
I didn’t give up hope though and I was able to put pen to paper 12 months later. It was a big deal for me to come back home and play for my brother.
You never know how that relationship will go until you start working together. It was an interesting experience and it took a little while to get used to.
I never called Ed gaffer. That was partly down to the fact that I didn’t get the chance to play for him though after getting injured in my first training session.
When I was on the sidelines I took a wage cut until I was fit. It didn’t feel right for me to pick up money when I was out for so long - it was something I wanted to do.
With the speculation about Ed and Jason leaving, I was asked a lot of questions about what was going on. But they kept that to themselves and that was the best thing to do for everyone.
I didn’t want Ed to leave. I wanted to get and fit and play for him, but I fully respected their decision to move to Burnley.
Scoring in the play-offs at Huddersfield convinced me I could get back to my best. I was shattered at the end but I had found that spark again.
I felt good when I came back. It wasn’t until I started getting ready for pre-season that I realised things weren’t quite right.
One of my lowest points was being taken off in my final game. It was against Hereford at home and I remember sitting in the dugout thinking that my body couldn't do what my brain wanted it to.
My team-mates told me I was doing ok but that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to do myself justice and the thought of not doing that didn’t sit well with me.
Everyone was shocked that I was retiring a matter of weeks into the season. I had played a few days before when I walked in one morning and called time on my career.
The decision to retire was made with later life in mind. There was talk I would need another two operations. Having had three already that year, I decided I didn’t want it to put my body through that and risk further problems later on.
I probably played too much too young. I had a lot of niggling injuries in my career which lead on to bigger problems.
It was a relief to retire. I knew I couldn’t perform to the level that I wanted to and suddenly I didn’t have that pressure any more.
It took a couple of years for me to miss playing. That’s the stage I am at now and would give anything to be able to train and play again.
I love seeing what is happening at the club now. It’s amazing to see how everything has changed on and off the field.
