Mark Travers has finally made a Premier League start for Bournemouth some 180 days after his emergency recall from what looked like turning into a successful loan at Stoke City.
Travers had been desperate to join Stoke last summer to get playing again after losing his spot in the Bournemouth pecking order to club captain Neto.
Under contract until 2027, loan was the only viable option for the 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international and then-Stoke boss Alex Neil pulled out of a move for Matija Sarkic to get it done.
Travers has since been used in the FA Cup – three ties – but was already cup-tied for the Carabao Cup and he has been restricted to bench duties in the league until last night. He replaced Neto in what turned out to be a 1-0 win over Wolves.
“It’s been a different one,” he said when asked to sum up his season. “I wasn’t really expecting it. I was really enjoying my time at Stoke, playing every week and getting the games in that I needed, coming back and just playing in a couple of cup games and trying to keep the belief as high as I could every day. Thankfully we’ve got into a really good position so it was good to get the opportunity and hopefully there is more to come.
“It’s the hardest part about football, not playing. What you do when you’re not playing is tough but thankfully I’ve got a really strong family and partner behind me who keep me going, always push me. I’m always grateful for that, try not to overthink it too much and always try to see the bigger picture. That moment always comes in football and you have to be ready to take it. I have just tried to stay focused and do the best I could.”
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