DANNY Hollands revealed he occasionally wonders what might have been had he stayed at Cherries but admitted: “I would never have been a Premier League footballer.”

Hollands, 30, made his name at Dean Court after being released by Chelsea in 2006, scoring 24 goals in 193 league matches.

He was a staple part of side that achieved the Greatest Escape, promotion from League Two and missed out in the League One play-offs inside three years.

Hollands left for Charlton in an exodus which saw Liam Feeney, Anton Robinson and Danny Ings depart in the summer of 2011, just before the Maxim Demin era kicked in.

But the out-of-contract Portsmouth midfielder, currently battling back to fitness in a bid to earn a new deal, has no regrets.

Hollands told the Daily Echo: “For me, it was the right thing to do at the time and it was a similar situation for a lot of the other players.

“If we had known then what we know now, we would have stayed. It was a friendly club, a great place to live and the squad was one of the best I have been part of.

“It was a hard choice for me because I had a great time playing for Bournemouth. I had three or four different managers and went through some highs and lows but losing in the play-offs was not great and I decided to move on.

“You do have times where you think ‘what if I had stayed’ but you never know, Eddie (Howe, manager) might have got rid of me when he came back.

“You cannot dwell on it too much. I had a taste of the Championship and it didn’t work out after a few problems with the manager.

“I am realistic, I would never have been a Premier League footballer. I don’t have the quality it takes. You look at the likes of Harry Arter, Simon Francis and a lot of the others, they have great attributes and have shown what they can do.

“Harry was young when he first signed and you could see he had bundles of ability. There are not many players who can play with and deliver from both feet.

“He was always going to move forwards and it has been great to see him step up to the international stage.

“I still speak to some of the lads and it is great to see them playing at the top level. It proves players can jump up and do well at that level and you have to take your hat off to them.

“A couple of years ago, they were just regarded as another player in League One. If some of them carry on the way they played last season, they won’t be far off playing for England.”

Hollands has just started his painstaking recovery having torn ankle ligaments in the League Two play-off semi-final against Plymouth in May.

He will not feature when Cherries head to Fratton Park for a friendly tomorrow (3pm) but will take the opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces.

“I was in a boot for two weeks and then found out I needed an operation,” said Hollands.

“I started running on Monday and hope to start full training next week. Once I get back, that’s when we can sit down and try to sort out something.

“It is always harder for injured players to argue a case but Portsmouth have said they want me to be part of it this season and I hope to be involved in helping the club go one better,” he added.

“I will be at a the game catching up with a few people. My time at Bournemouth was my longest spell at one club and I had some of my best times there. The club is still close to my heart.”