Dan Carroll’s dedication and development in the Academy of English Premier League side Bournemouth has seen him appointed the club’s new U18s Lead Coach.

The UEFA A Licence holder and Football Careers client is working with former Cherries midfielder Andrew Surman as his assistant and they walked straight into the demands of a title run-in this month.

With former U18s boss Alan Connell moving up to take charge of the club’s Development squad, Dan landed a promotion from the U16s and immediately there was a big challenge for the new Carroll and Surman double act.

Dan’s side faced the task of getting their tilt for the EFL Youth Alliance South West Division championship over the line – and they did it. Carroll reflected:

“They got themselves into a position where they had four games left and they had to win all four, and for their learning that’s brilliant.

“They were under pressure and they did it.”

With their first mission safely accomplished, Carroll and Surman can now settle into the task of developing new stars who will eventually be aimed at manager Gary O’Neil’s first team at the Vitality Stadium.

Cherries Academy boss Sam Gisborne is delighted to see Dan’s progression. And he stressed:

“Dan has worked right the way through our Academy, from our Under-9s to most recently being with our Under-16s.

“Dan’s work ethic and commitment to the Academy has been superb and it makes complete sense to give him an opportunity to work with the Under-18s.

“It’s great to have Andrew on board, too. He’s new to coaching but this role will be perfect for him, as he will work very closely with people who have been with the Academy a long time.”