Eddie Howe has shut down any rumours suggesting there is bad blood between him and former Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser.
The pair have been reunited for the first time since Fraser refused to sign a new deal with the Cherries towards the end of 2019/20 season – a controversial move which saw him play no part in a run in that ended in relegation for Eddie Howe’s side.
18 months later, it seems there’s no hard feelings, with Howe talking up the “very strong relationship” that exists between him and the winger he calls “wee man” on the training ground!
Howe insists that all previous issues are “in the past”, saying he is delighted to be working with a player who was “absolutely brilliant” during their time together at Bournemouth.
Here’s what he had to say about the Scot when speaking to the Shields Gazette:
“Me and Ryan always had a very strong relationship.
“He was absolutely brilliant.
“From day one, he really took on board what we were trying to do with him.
“He worked incredibly hard and he got all the rewards.
“I was disappointed for us with the ending at Bournemouth, but I was disappointed for him, too.
“That’s in the past.
“The future’s the future and I’m delighted to be working with him again.”
It won’t have gone down well north of the border, but it’s very interesting to see Ryan Fraser pull out of the Scotland squad.
With him spotted training on Tuesday, it seems he’s opted to impress Eddie Howe over the international break – not represent his country for upcoming World Cup qualifiers!
