FORMER Cherries star Ian Harte says Jermain Defoe would be an "amazing" signing, but insists the club's priority next season must be to stay in the Premier League.

Boss Eddie Howe is expected to complete a move for Defoe in the coming days, and the Sunderland striker would rejoin a club where he excelled on loan as a teenager during the 2000-01 campaign.

Harte signed for Cherries as a 35-year-old in 2013 and he is certain age would be no barrier to England international Defoe proving a hit for Howe's side.

"Just look at what he’s done this season and the amount of goals he’s scored," said Harte, speaking exclusively to 888sport.

"With the style of football Bournemouth play, with creative midfielders always looking to pierce the lines and slide the ball in, he could be amazing for them.

"They also have Callum Wilson and Joshua King – if he stays now – but Defoe has been there and done it throughout his career. He started out as a young lad at Bournemouth and it would be great to see him back in the shirt."

Harte played 24 times in Cherries' first Championship season and featured nine times in all in 2014-15 as the club won promotion into the Premier League.

A defender who was instrumental to Leeds United's run to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2001, and who represented Republic of Ireland in the following year's World Cup finals, he has been impressed by the way fellow left-back Charlie Daniels has adapted to Premier League football.

So too, Daniels's fellow Cherries' defenders.

"Charlie Daniels has been amazing – and not just this season but every one he’s been at Bournemouth," said Harte. "Charlie, Simon Francis and Steve Cook have come from League One to Premier League football... and they go out there and put in some unbelievable performances.

"For me, that shows if you’re good enough, and you believe in yourself, it doesn’t matter if you come from lower down the leagues – you will be given an opportunity."

Harte retired following his release from Cherries in 2015. The club subsequently finished 16th in their debut top-flight campaign, before ending the recent season in ninth spot.

Asked if his former team should be targeting European football next time around, Harte said: "The process is gradual, at the moment it’s all about staying in the league. I’m sure Eddie has plans to strengthen.

"He’s the type to scrutinise the players to see if they’ve got the right character, so they don’t upset the rest of the lads. But we have to be realistic as well, because it is only eight years ago the club nearly went out of the Football League.

"There is a great group of people running that football club and great management.

"I’ve still got many friends in the Bournemouth team and Eddie Howe is one of the top English managers. He’ll go on to bigger and better things."

Read the full 888sport interview with Ian Harte:https://www.888sport.com/blog/football/news/ian-harte-interview-24-05-2017/