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 Wes Fogden.
I always wanted to be a footballer. I started playing properly when I was four or five years old, playing with boys a couple of years above me in my older brother's team, which was run by my Dad.
I signed for Brighton at 11 years old and played right the way through my school years. I signed professional terms at 18, but that's when I find out about my back injury.
Doctors found a tumour on my spine and initially I was told I was would never play football again. A diagnosis like that definitely changes the way you think about things; you take each day as it comes and enjoy it for what it is.
Dropping out of league football wasn't a tough decision. Dorchester Town offered me a good deal, they were the only professional club in the Conference South at the time and it was a good opportunity to play first team football week-in-week-out.
After a year playing part time with Havant and Waterlooville, I started thinking seriously about a future outside of football. That was when I enrolled for a degree in sports coaching and PE at Chichester University.
It was a difficult decision to put my studies on hold when Bournemouth approached me. I was a year and a half in and I wasn't expecting that call. After speaking to my family and the university, I decided to give the professional game one last shot.
I played under three different managers during my time at AFC Bournemouth. Lee Bradbury signed me, gave me the initial opportunity and I thought he was a very good young manager.
Whenever a new manager comes in all kinds of thoughts go through your head. Half the squad already knew Eddie, but the excitement from those players set the tone for his return.
The impact was obvious for everyone to see. Eddie and Jason gave the whole club a lift, the fans, the staff and the players, and we went on a roll that didn't stop.
Even through five back to back defeats in February, the manager told us to keep believing in what we were doing. For him to be that calm and give us the confidence to carry on is testament to him and how he managed the squad. We turned the tide at Stevenage and we won eight in a row after that.
What Eddie did that season was incredible. But then you go into the Championship and the question is, ‘Can those players make that step up?’. With Eddie and Jason’s help that happened, and from what I saw they just completely outplayed teams.
I still had 18 months on my contract, but decided that moving to Pompey was right for me. It was sad to leave, but it was time for a new chapter in my career. After the injuries I had when I was young it made me realise that ultimately I just love playing; if you're not in that starting eleven on a matchday it's very difficult.
I saw quite a few of the Championship games on television. Every game I saw I was thinking, 'Wow, what a team'. They played some unbelievable stuff and were definitely the best side in the Championship from what I saw.
I broke my finger this season, which allowed me to get back to Dean Court and take in my first Premier League experience. I loved being back, being in the crowd and supporting the team.
I've definitely made some friends for life. The players were amazing and I still keep in contact with some of the staff who send me messages, which is lovely. I only have fond memories of the club and will be a supporter for life.
