AFC Bournemouth
Eddie Howe believes Ryan Fraser’s new contract at AFC Bournemouth is just reward following four years of hard graft.
The Scottish winger moved south of the border in January 2013, swapping the Granite City of Aberdeen for life in Dorset with the then-League One Cherries.
Having played his part in promotion to the second tier and then lifting the Championship title, Fraser has had to be patient for a chance in the Premier League and spent last season out on loan at Ipswich Town.
But the 22-year-old burst onto the top flight scene in December with a match-winning cameo in a memorable 4-3 comeback against Liverpool and has since established himself as a key player in Howe’s side.
And while the boss was never in doubt that Fraser would fulfil his potential, he revealed his excitement about what the future holds for the youngster.
"There has been a lot of growth in Ryan. He has improved leaps and bounds," Howe told afcb.co.uk.
"He was such a young lad when he arrived here and I think it was a bit of a culture shock for him, seeing the professionalism of the lads and how things are done here.
"I think he quickly got to grips with that and has taken his career onto a really good level. It’s all been down to a lot of hard work behind the scenes that he has put in.
"We have always known the quality he possesses but the next step was to produce performances on a consistent basis. We are seeing that from him now.
"Seeing how much work he has put in to get to this point in his career, he deserves all the accolades he receives and I’m sure there are many more to come.
"It’s exciting to think what he could be capable of, if he continues the speed of his development this season.
"I always say in these situations the player has to move their career onto another level again – signing a new contract is not the end; it’s very much the beginning of something. Hopefully that will be the case for Ryan.
"I’m delighted that he has signed a new contract because he is a great character, he has an infectious personality and he is a really important part of the squad."
He is a great character, he has an infectious personality and he is a really important part of the squad.
