Howe backs Dennis to develop at Bournemouth

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe believes he has good depth in the goalkeeping department and that Will Dennis has a bright future.

Dennis has been with the Cherries since the age of just 15 years-old and his had had spells with both Watford and Luton in the past but Howe has high hopes for him in the future.

Howe says the 19-year-old has all the attributes to play at the top level and has urged him to continue along the same road he is on and push for a first team place in the future.

Howe has backed his words up with deeds as Dennis was handed a new three-and-a-half-year deal at the club earlier this month so his future is with the Cherries for the next few years.

This season he has been promoted up to the first-team squad and trained alongside the top three keepers at the club in Aaron Ramsdale, Artur Boruc and Mark Travers and is learning a lot along the way.

Howe says working with those three keepers - and with coaches Neil Moss and Anthony White - can only be a good thing and he will be learning all the time by watching how they go about their business in training and in games.

Howe told the Echo: "I am sure he would have seen how they have approached and attacked their own development in the professional manner they have done.

"He would have looked at that and thought 'I want a piece of that' and he's got the attributes to do it.

"He's a lovely size, very good shot stopper and a good kicker, so the future is bright for him."

Dennis has already pulled on a Cherries shirt when he represented the club in the Hampshire Senior Cup, Central League Cup and Premier League Cup as part of Shaun Cooper's Under-21 setup, but he will be looking forward to the day he gets a first-team jersey for the first time.

- TEAMtalk media