AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth legend Andrew Surman knows what it is like to approach your first season in the Premier League, having helped the Cherries survive in the top flight for five seasons.
The South Africa-born midfielder initially joined the club on loan in 2005/06 before returning in 2013, spending seven more seasons in Dorset. In total, he played 225 times for the Cherries, playing a key role in the club’s most successful teams.
Speaking to afcb.co.uk, Surman reflects on his time at Vitality Stadium, the quality of the Premier League and his season with tonight’s opponents, Wolves.
How is life after retirement treating you?
It’s been really nice. It takes a bit of getting used to, I think being 35 it was coming to a natural end anyway, so I was pretty geared up for it. I had that last season at MK Dons, which I really enjoyed, but the travelling was tough. I have a young family so getting to spend some time with them has been nice, it’s been good being around in the summer and going on holiday with them. I’ve been getting involved in the property side of things while I work out what I’m going to do next.
You do miss the structure a little bit, I was used to going to training four days a week and playing a match on the Saturday. You’ve got to find your structure another way rather than wasting your days away. Having young kids has helped me in that sense because I have school runs and making sure I’m around for them, so it’s been really nice.
You joined tonight’s opponents Wolves in 2009/10 – what was that first taste of Premier League football like?
It was a dream come true in terms of moving somewhere where I was going to be playing in the Premier League. I was gutted to leave Southampton at the time but going to Wolves and playing in the Premier League was a big pull. Once you get that taste, you want it all the time.
I didn’t play too many games, I ended up mainly playing against the top four teams and getting spanked every time, but it was a good experience. It’s a great club, a massive club, I was happy there but I just didn’t play enough.
What is the Molineux like as a stadium to play at?
It was amazing. It’s an incredible atmosphere. When I joined, they’d just been promoted from the Championship and they were riding the crest of a wave a little bit, so the fans were right behind them. It’s a massive stadium, a massive fanbase who were really loud, so it was a big experience for me. Although I didn’t play much, it was good to get a taste of playing for a big club like Wolves and tasting that Premier League experience.
While at Wolves, you played with Matt Hill. How strange is it to see his son James playing for the Cherries?
It's really strange! Hilly is a great guy, I got on well with him when I was there. You’d never have thought he’d be old enough to have a lad who is playing in the first team at Bournemouth. It’s great to see and he’s a great lad, and James is supposed to be a cracking player.
You played 225 times for the Cherries over two spells. What makes the club stand out?
I think at first it was just catching everyone by surprise by doing the unexpected. People didn’t expect us to get promoted, people didn’t expect us to stay in the Premier League, people are probably still writing the club off. To keep producing what Bournemouth are producing is incredible and it’s great to see that they’re almost cemented as a Premier League club now. I know they’ve been up and down recently, but the perception of the club is in a whole new world. It’s got a great structure, it was an amazing experience to be at the club and it was a massive part of my career.
Where does promotion to the Premier League rank in your career achievements?
It's definitely up there! They’re the best nights, going up against Bolton and winning the league against Charlton. I also had it at Norwich, getting promoted at Portsmouth away. As much as it’s not quite party time when you achieve survival in the Premier League, you’re still buzzing. The Championship is so exciting and that rollercoaster and journey during the promotion season was incredible. That’s why you want to play football.
How much of an achievement was it to have lasted five seasons in the Premier League for the Cherries?
It felt absolutely huge at the time, we knew what we’d achieved not only in terms of getting promoted, but staying in the league quite comfortably, keeping our philosophy and still managing to go and surprise teams, put in good performances and beat some top teams. It’s still a massive deal that Bournemouth are in the Premier League so I hope they can stay in the league this season and build on that momentum.
How did you find the difference between the Premier League and the Championship?
I think it’s the quality. Every team has the quality to hurt you, you get punished for your mistakes. It’s hard to find a win sometimes, especially when you’ve lost a couple of games. When you’re struggling, things seem to go against you because of the quality of your opponent. The Championship is a bit more of a level playing field where anyone can put together a run, so it’s a big step up.
Do you stay in contact with members of that team?
I saw Franno [Simon Francis], Cookie [Steve Cook], Smudge [Adam Smith] and Tommy Elphick a couple of months ago. I still speak to the lads, I still speak to Matty Ritchie and Goso [Dan Gosling]. There’s a few lads I bump into every now and then. I live in Southampton now, so I have a bit of a separate life, I think if I lived in Bournemouth I’d socialise with them a little bit more. When you have achieved what we achieved together, you’re always going to have a bond.
Do you still follow the Cherries?
I still keep an eye on what’s going on. The players they’ve got there at the moment are more than capable of having a good season in the Premier League, they’ve got experience there – Smudge, Junior Stanislas and Lewis Cook who have been around the club for a long time and have enough Premier League experience to lead the other players.
