Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier secures new contract

AFC Bournemouth's star player Marcus Tavernier has been awarded a new contract following his successful first season in the Premier League.

Tavernier, who scored five goals and provided four assists in 23 appearances, played a significant role in helping the Cherries retain their top-flight status.

The versatile 24-year-old player joined Bournemouth from Middlesbrough at the start of the 2022/23 season and has now committed his long-term future to the club by agreeing on new contract terms.

AFC Bournemouth's Chief Executive, Neill Blake, shared his excitement, stating, “Marcus certainly hit the ground running in his first season in the Premier League and showed everybody what an immense talent he is. He scored some crucial goals in crucial games and played his part in what was an outstanding team effort from all the players and staff.”

Blake further added, “Going forward, we see Marcus having a huge role to play as we look to build on last season’s achievement and make further progress on the pitch. Marcus is a valued member of the squad and integrated very quickly here following his move from Middlesbrough. We are delighted he has signed this new contract and look forward to continuing to work with him.”

Tavernier had an immediate impact in his debut match against Aston Villa, where he was named the man of the match. His contributions included match-winning goals in key games against Wolves and Southampton, with his stunning equaliser against Fulham earning him the club's goal of the season.

Speaking about his achievements, Tavernier said, “Ever since I started playing football as a kid, my dream was to play in the Premier League and I realised that dream here last season. The team aim was to stay up and we achieved that fairly comfortably in the end, silencing quite a few people who thought we were certainties to go down.”

Expressing his delight with his time at the club so far, Tavernier commented, “I’ve settled here quickly and everybody at the club has made me feel very welcome. I’m delighted to sign a new contract. The new owners have ambitious plans for the club and I want to be a part of that going forward so it was an easy decision to make to extend my stay here.”