AFC Bournemouth under-18s defender Ollie Eagle felt that not just his skillset had improved this season ahead of a clash with Plymouth Argyle.
Eagle will travel with the squad to Devon on Tuesday for the 1pm kick-off having been an ever-present for Alan Connell’s team this term.
As the only first-year scholar to feature in all ten league and cup under-18s games, the young defender has felt a boost in character.
With second-year scholar Max Kinsey-Wellings also an ever-present, Eagle attributed his centre-back partner with playing a key role.
“I’ve had my ups and downs, as well as everyone else, but consistency has been the key thing Alan looks for, that’s what I have to keep giving,” he told afcb.co.uk.
“I’m developing not just in my ability but in my character as well.
“Playing with people a year older than you week in, week out, it just makes you a better player.”
Eagle added on Kinsey-Wellings: “He’s like my big brother. He leads by example and he’s talking to me constantly throughout the game.
“He has that extra year of experience of being with Alan and working to Alan’s standards.”
In those ten appearances in all competitions over the campaign so far, the centre-back has aided his team to four clean sheets.
The latest of those clean sheets saw Millwall shut out in a 3-0 victory in the U18 Professional Development League Cup.
Despite the Lions ranking as a higher category academy than the Cherries, Eagle explained how the team’s standards mean they fear no one.
He said: “We expect a lot from ourselves, we want to play to the standards of the academy of a Premier League team.
“Going into games like against Millwall, we’re full of confidence.
“Even Alan before the game, he was telling us how much of a chance we have of winning the game; he knows our quality.”
The young centre-back went on to share that confidence will be taken into the Plymouth clash, with the under-18s hoping to better three winless fixtures in league and cup against the Pilgrims last season.
“It’s a tough game but we’ve just beaten Millwall 3-0, the team is full of confidence going into this game,” Eagle said.
“We’ve watched them and we know we can penetrate them in certain areas, so we’re confident.”
