AFC Bournemouth
Featuring regularly for the under-21s but training every day with the first team, it’s been a busy season so far for young goalkeeper Will Dennis, who believes that he’s learning from the best at Vitality Stadium.
The shot-stopper arrived at the club in the summer of 2016, aged 15, and signed his first professional contract 18 months later.
He now finds himself facing shots from Callum Wilson and Joshua King on a daily basis and is often seen warming up out on the pitch ahead of a top-flight fixture.
Couple that with Premier League Cup, Central League Cup and Hampshire Senior Cup matches for Shaun Cooper’s under-21s and it’s a demanding schedule, but one that Dennis is relishing midway through the season.
“It’s been good, but it’s been a long season so far,” he said to afcb.co.uk.
“For me, being with the first team is a great experience. Training with the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Mark Travers and the big man [Artur Boruc], you’ve got three completely different ‘keepers there.
“You’ve got a Polish international who’s played so many times for them, Rambo who is playing in the Premier League week-in-week-out, and Travs who has done very similar things as well, so there’s different parts of their games that I’ve taken, had a look at and can use myself.
“For me, it’s been hard because I haven’t had as much game time and it’s been tough to try and prove myself, but I know it will come and I can improve from there.”
It’s not just on the training ground where Dennis can learn from his counterparts, claiming he can also be inspired by the contrasting journeys they’ve had.
“Rambo’s had two different loan spells in very different ways. He’s come back and been selected to play with the first team every week and it’s something that every kid really dreams of,” he added.
“Obviously Travs last year didn’t go out on loan or anything, so he didn’t have as much experience but has still now played in the Premier League a couple of times, so I think I’m probably going down that same pathway at the moment and hopefully one day I’ll be able to do the same as him.
“We all enjoy it, that’s the main thing and when we enjoy it, we all get the most of it.
“We saw it in training the other day – we had a great session, everyone was just on it and having fun. We always try and score against each other which makes it more competitive as no-one wants to let any goals in.
“We always have a laugh with it, everyone gets involved, but it’s good because we know when we need to turn it off and be serious.
“We’re so tight as a group and even outside training, we’ll literally go round each other’s places and chill, or go and play golf in the summer.”
While they may spend all their time together, Dennis alluded to the fact they get mistaken for each other too!
“A couple of times, you do get the supporters that know everyone from the under-21s to the first team and they come up to you and ask for an autograph or photo,” he continued.
“Then you just get the funny ones like the other week, where there was a little lad playing football outside the stadium so I went to kick the ball back and the dad was like ‘Cheers Aaron!’
“I was in full Bournemouth gear so I can understand it and I just kind of accepted it.
“It was the same with Ryan Allsop a few years back. I used to get that all the time! I don’t think we look anything alike, just the blonde hair that is very similar.”
Having started his career at Luton, Dennis moved across to Hertfordshire and joined the Watford academy, where he played from under-9s up to under-16s, before arriving on the south coast. However, as he went on to explain, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the ‘keeper.
“I got released from Watford when I was in the under-16s. It was in the January and it was tough because we moved house on the same day that they told me, so everything was going on at once.
“I went on trial at loads of other places – MK Dons, Coventry and Stevenage, who also offered me a contract.
“They were probably the biggest help when I got released because they let me train with them most days just to get involved and keep fit. That also helped me get here because I remained in shape, so I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“I came down here for a couple of days and I actually played in a game on my first day. We played Sparsholt College near Winchester and lost 2-0.
“I played 80 minutes and conceded one – it was an own goal from Dinesh Gillela!
“The next day I trained with Neil Moss and a load of the other young goalkeepers who used to be here. It was a good session and I think they liked me, so I then got a call to say that an offer was there if I wanted it.”
Approaching his fourth full season at Vitality Stadium, Dennis credits his family as the biggest influence on his career thus far.
“I appreciate everything they have done, they have helped me immensely with football since the age of five,” he recalled.
“My dad was my coach all the way until I came here really. I used to play for his school team before I was at Luton. Then I moved to Watford and I moved to a different school, so I ended up playing outfield for his Saturday team instead.
“I did that all the way from under-9s to under-15s. I probably wasn’t meant to, but it helped my development and understanding of the game.
“Although I was training as a goalkeeper with Luton and Watford, playing outfield for my dad was the best thing I could’ve done.
“Now as goalkeepers, we need to be able to play and be confident with the ball at our feet. It’s good knowing I can trust my touch or play a pass when I need to.
“So, yeah he’s been a massive part of my career, as has my mum driving me everywhere, both sets of grandparents taking time out when my parents can’t take me to training. They’ve just always been there and I’m so grateful.”
Come and watch the under-21s as they take on Southampton in the Premier League Cup next Friday evening. The game is taking place at Vitality Stadium and you can buy tickets here.
