MANAGER Eddie Howe is hoping the Dean Court conveyor belt can keep delivering but admits only “exceptional talents” are likely to break through into the Championship.

Boss Howe, a product of the club’s youth set-up when he graduated in 1996, says promotion is likely to restrict the number of home-grown players blooded in the first team.

Brett Pitman was the only member of the squad at Burnley to have come through the ranks, while the Clarets boasted three ex-Cherries apprentices – Danny Ings, Sam Vokes and Brian Stock.

And while the likes of Josh McQuoid, Joe Partington, Sam Matthews and Jayden Stockley, currently on loan to Leyton Orient, are all members of Howe’s first team, Pitman remains the only one to have been used in the Championship.

It is a far cry from when Ings made his debut in 2009, with five products of the youth ranks involved in a JPT tie at Northampton, while no fewer than nine featured in Cherries’ 2007-08 League One relegation campaign.

Ings, who left Cherries for Burnley in a £1million move in August 2011, has vindicated Howe’s attempts to try to re-sign him in the summer by netting 14 times this season, including a late leveller, thanks to a Vokes assist, during the 1-1 draw at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Howe, who spent four months as centre of excellence manager at Dean Court in 2008, told the Daily Echo: “We look very fondly on all the players we develop so we take pride in the fact both Danny and Sam are scoring goals and doing well at Championship level, as we do with other players.

“You look at Adam Lallana who was with us until he was 12 and how well he is doing in the Premier League with Southampton. All the people that work with the young lads in the centre of excellence should take a lot of pride in that and we hope to produce more.”

Howe keeps a close eye on the progress of young players through a development squad, headed by player-coach Stephen Purches, which is in place to help bridge the gap between youth and first team.

“The challenge is to keep bringing through players but it gets more difficult to produce for your first team because the level is a lot higher,” added Howe.

“If we were still in League Two, I would imagine a lot more players who have come through the ranks to possibly be in the first team. But as we are at Championship level, it is only really the exceptional talents who are going to get through.

“We were almost forced to give Sam Vokes his debut here as a 17-year old because we had nobody else and it was a similar story with Danny Ings. We gave him his debut when we were thin on the ground for players.

“Now we have a bigger squad so it is much more difficult to get that breakthrough and to get a foothold to make a career. But we certainly want to push through young players if they are ready to play in the team.”

Cherries currently top the South West Division of the Youth Alliance and have progressed to the southern section quarter-finals of the Youth Alliance Cup after winning their group.

Youth team products to have made league appearances for Cherries since 1995

2013-14 – Brett Pitman.

2012-13 – Josh McQuoid, Brett Pitman, Josh Carmichael, Joe Partington, Josh Wakefield.

2011-12 – Joe Partington, Josh Wakefield, Josh Carmichael, Dan Strugnell, Jayden Stockley, Alex Parsons.

2010-11 – Brett Pitman, Josh McQuoid, Steve Lovell, Joe Partington, Danny Ings, Jayden Stockley.

2009-10 – Brett Pitman, Joe Partington, Josh McQuoid, George Webb, Jayden Stockley, Dan Thomas.

2008-09 – Brett Pitman, Josh McQuoid, Ryan Pryce, Joe Partington, Carl Preston, George Webb.

2007-08 – Brett Pitman, Sam Vokes, Neil Moss, Josh McQuoid, Ryan Pryce, Joe Partington, Billy Franks, Matt Finlay, Steve Hutchings.

2006-07 – Karl Broadhurst, Eddie Howe, James Hayter, Brett Pitman, Neil Moss, Sam Vokes, Josh McQuoid.

2005-06 – Neil Moss, Eddie Howe, Brian Stock, James Hayter, James Coutts, Brett Pitman, James Rowe, Karl Broadhurst.

2004-05 – Neil Moss, Karl Broadhurst, Carl Fletcher, Brian Stock, James Hayter, Eddie Howe, James Rowe, Ryan Moss, James Coutts.

2003-04 – Neil Moss, Karl Broadhurst, Carl Fletcher, James Hayter, Brian Stock, 2002-03 – Neil Moss, Karl Broadhurst, Brian Stock, James Hayter, Carl Fletcher.

2001-02 – Karl Broadhurst, Eddie Howe, James Hayter, Carl Fletcher, David Birmingham, James Ford, Brian Stock, Danny Smith.

2000-01 – Carl Fletcher, James Hayter, Danny Smith, James Ford, Karl Broadhurst, Eddie Howe, Brian Stock.

1999-00 – Eddie Howe, Scott Mean, James Hayter, Steve Lovell, Karl Broadhurst, Carl Fletcher, Brian Stock, Danny Smith, James Ford.

1998-99 – Eddie Howe, Mike Dean, Dave Town, Antony Griffin, Jamie Jenkins, James Hayter, Steve Lovell, Carl Fletcher.

1997-98 – Eddie Howe, Rob Murray, Mike Dean, Dave Town, James Hayter, Carl Fletcher.

1996-97 – Rob Murray, Dave Town, Eddie Howe, Mike Dean, James Hayter.

1995-96 – Rob Murray, Scott Mean, Dave Town, Michael McElhatton, Neil Moss, Eddie Howe, Mike Dean, Steve Strong, Paul Mitchell.

  • List does not include Matt Tubbs and Adam Lallana, both of whom spent time in the Cherries youth ranks, but does include players who have left and returned.