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Development Squad

Tydeman boosted by Iraola keeping a keen eye on development squad

Kian Tydeman believes the opportunity to showcase the Cherries’ development squad’s talent in front of first-team head coach Andoni Iraola and his staff is a “big positive”.

The playmaker was speaking after Iraola, alongside Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, took in the entirety of the development squad’s game against Sheffield United last Friday.

Alex Scott and Ryan Christie were also keen to watch the youngsters perform, having featured on commentary during afcbTV’s live stream.

Several other first-team players and staff were present as Alan Connell’s side fell to a narrow defeat against the Blades in the Professional Development League.

Despite the result, Tydeman was boosted by seeing the club’s first-team hierarchy keeping a keen eye on the development squad’s progress.

He told afcb.co.uk: “It’s a very big positive for us. That’s where we want to get to.

“To have them watching us, all of us want to impress. It should make us work even harder and play better as a team.

“It shows us that there can be a future for us which we all want, and it shows they are looking at us. We all want to impress.”

In their inaugural season at category two level, the Cherries are just two points adrift of making the league play-offs at present.

They have three regular league fixtures remaining, starting with a trip to Birmingham City on Monday (7pm kick-off).

“We’ve got the squad and the togetherness to get to where we want to go,” said Tydeman, who has four goals in his past four games.  

“Our team is good enough to get top two, which is what we are going to aim for.”