Ten new first-year scholars are set to join up with the AFC Bournemouth under-18s squad for the 2023/24 campaign.
Amongst those ten additions to the team, the majority of the players are coming from internally.
One goalkeeper will join the squad alongside soon-to-be second-year scholars Mack Allan and Noah Crisp, with Will Seeley stepping up.
Impressive shot stopper Seeley has been with the Cherries since a young age and is steadily growing in confidence as he progresses through the academy ranks.
Making up just under half of the ten new additions to the team are four defenders, with full-backs Sonny Parkes and Tommy Whitehead and centre-backs Harold William and Jay Williams.
As the only external arrival of the four, William joins from Charlton Athletic after being with the Addicks from under-15 level. He is a dominant and athletic defender, who is comfortable in possession.
Fellow centre-back Williams, meanwhile, joined the Cherries at under-15 level from grassroots and his keenness to learn is complemented by being very athletic, with great communication and leadership skills.
Full-backs Parkes and Whitehead have both been with the club for long stints already, with the former left sided and the latter right sided. Having commuted from Basingstoke in the entirety of his time as a Cherry, Parkes boasts good ball manipulation and an impressive work rate. Whitehead then complements outstanding athleticism with a strong character.
The centre of the park for the under-18s is set to be bolstered by four players stepping up in Charlie Stevens, Josh Salmon, Malachi Ogunleye and Ryan Carroll.
Of the four, Salmon is the only external incoming, with the left-footed creative midfielder set to join from Southampton.
Stevens and Ogunleye are both long-serving academy players in Bournemouth, with Welsh midfielder Stevens, who is currently away with Wales under-16s, having been at the club since pre-academy age and Ogunleye from under the age of ten.
The former occupies a more creative role in the team and is capable of playing anywhere across the midfield, while the latter is a battling middleman who is hard working and good at winning the ball back.
Carroll offers as one of the most versatile players of the bunch, able to play in midfield, on the wing or upfront. Having joined the club as an under-12, he’s a very intelligent footballer with impressive movement and an eye for set-pieces.
Completing the list of ten new first-year scholars and the only out-and-out striker is Kashanga Kasukumya.
Another to have joined the Cherries at under-15 level from grassroots, Kasukumya complements a great attitude with the ability to be an effective striker who presses well and makes life difficult for defenders.
Congratulations, lads!
