AFC Bournemouth
Just three EFL Youth Alliance fixtures stand in the way of the under-18s’ new coaching duo claiming a title.
For young left-back Ollie Morgan, not only is the prospect of finishing top of the tree in the southwest division exciting, but also working under Dan Carroll and Andrew Surman.
Following Alan Connell’s progression to coaching the development squad, Carroll has stepped up from the under-16s to be the lead coach of the Cherries side.
Having worked with him in the under-16s, Morgan spoke to afcb.co.uk on the coach’s interim appointment, saying: “It’s exciting.
“He’s a really good coach and I think he knows us all just as much as Al does, so everything will stay the same as long as we stick to our principles.”
Former midfielder Surman has also been installed as Carroll’s assistant, returning to the club after departing in 2020.
With 225 Cherries appearances to his name, over 100 of which were made in the Premier League, the 36-year-old brings a wealth of playing experience.
On Surman, Morgan explained: “He’s a really good coach and he’s definitely detailed, especially with the midfielders having been one himself.
“Working with him is really going to benefit them, as well as everyone else in the team.
“You can definitely get confidence from knowing that someone has been there and done it before you, so we have to take all we can from him and learn.”
The under-18s’ home straight to the end of the EFL Youth Alliance term sees the side head to Wales on Saturday, taking on Newport County.
With three fixtures left to play, the Cherries trail Plymouth Argyle by a point but take on the Pilgrims in the penultimate game of the campaign.
“It’s a massive game,” Morgan said on Saturday’s meeting with the Exiles.
“We’ve got a new coach now but everything stays the same, we’ve got to make sure we get the three points and that the performance is right.”
He continued: “We’re a confident group and we’ve put in some impressive performances recently.
“Going into these last three games of the EFL Youth Alliance season, there’s no reason why we can’t win them all.”
Kick-off against the Exiles is scheduled for 11am at the Newport International Sports Village.
Supported by
