MIDFIELDER Andrew Surman is convinced his season-long loan with Cherries made him a “better player”.

The Norwich City man starred during the second-half of the campaign as Eddie Howe’s men firmly established themselves in the Championship.

Surman had been short on match action when he arrived at Dean Court having been restricted by a knee injury to just seven appearances for the Canaries in 2012-13.

And although he took time to rediscover his form, the 27-year-old was a revelation for Cherries, starting all but two of the final 29 games as Eddie Howe’s men secured a 10th-placed finish.

Surman, who has a year left to run on his contract at Carrow Road, could be a summer target for Howe, although his future is unlikely to be decided until after Norwich’s Premier League fate has been determined.

He told the Daily Echo: “I enjoy playing as part of a team that wants to get the ball down and play in what I believe to be the right way. Bournemouth do that and I have really enjoyed my season here so we will see what the future holds.

“One of the conversations I had before I came here was about playing a more central role rather than out wide. It wasn’t a condition but the manager knew it was something I wanted to try to do and I was very grateful that he was prepared to put me in there.

“We started the season with three in midfield and I have always been quite an attacking player so had a lot to learn on the defensive side of the game.

“When you are in a central role, you have a lot more responsibility on your shoulders and have to have that intensity. Those are the demands if you want to play there.

“Having not played for a while, it took time to get back my match legs when I first came in but this spell has enabled me to do that as well as working on the parts of my game I needed to improve on.

“It has been great and I would say this season, along with the manager’s help, has made me a better player. We have all progressed throughout the season as a team and as individuals and it was just what I needed.”