Irish midfielder Gavin Kilkenny has made eye-catching progress since joining AFC Bournemouth as a 16-year-old in August 2016, making his first team debut in December 2020.
He moved into the club's under-21 squad after serving a two-year scholarship in the under-18s and was quickly elevated to the first team in the summer of 2019.
Kilkenny was rewarded for his exploits with a new long-term contract, which he signed in December 2019.
Raised in Beaumont, a suburb of northern Dublin, Kilkenny started out at St Kevin’s Boys, the youth football club whose graduates include Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Jeff Hendrick and Robbie Brady.
He left home at 16 to join the Cherries, having excelled as a youngster at Gaelic football and hurling.
Kilkenny signed his first professional contract in April 2018 and penned an extension at the end of the 2018/19 season.
Capped by Republic of Ireland at under-15, 16, 17 and 19 level, Kilkenny featured in the Cherries' pre-season friendlies against Girona, Brentford and Lyon in 2019.
He was named man of the match by the sponsors after scoring in the 3-0 win against Lyon in August 2019.
This season the midfielder completed his graduation through the academy by making his league debut for the first team in the 4-0 away win at Barnsley in December 2020.
He became a more regular fixture in the Cherries team in 2021/22, making his first league start in the opening day game with West Brom.
In total, he played 18 times over the course of the season, as the Cherries secured automatic promotion to the Premier League.
In July 2022, Kilkenny signed a one-year contract extension before agreeing to join Championship side Stoke City on a season-long loan.
Kilkenny is an integral part of the Republic of Ireland under-21 squad and had six caps to his name, as at December 2019.