STEVE Cook revealed how his early years in professional football had been plagued by doubt and then labelled as “crazy” his Premier League involvement.

The Hastings-born defender, who made his full senior debut for Brighton as a 17-year-old, admitted a plethora of loan moves had him questioning his future in the game and that he even had doubts over his initial month-long loan switch to Cherries.

After a handful of substitute outings for the Seagulls in the 2008-09 season, which sandwiched a loan spell at Havant & Waterlooville, Cook signed a professional deal.

But he did not feature for Brighton again until September 2011, a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup which proved his first start and final appearance.

Prior to that, the defender had spent temporary spells in non-league with Eastleigh, Eastbourne Borough and Mansfield.

Ultimately, he signed for Cherries on loan and then permanently, and having helped the club to charge from League One to the top flight, Cook felt his decision had been vindicated.

Lifting the lid on his varied career, Cook told the Daily Echo: “I had a lot of loan moves when I was at Brighton and was signing one-year contracts every summer, which was frustrating.

“I can remember turning out at Maidenhead on a Tuesday night and thinking, ‘I’m not sure my career is going the way I want it to’.

“I went to Mansfield for three months and that was difficult because I was only 19 and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I try to forget those days, to be honest, as at the time I was asking myself, ‘do I want to do this?’

“Even when I came to Bournemouth, I wasn’t sure if it would be for me. Initially, it was only a one-month loan so I thought I would be going back to Brighton and trying to get in the first team.

“I had gone here, there and everywhere up to then but I finally settled in Bournemouth and the rest is history. For me, my position now is crazy because at one point, I never thought it would happen.

“Being part of a Premier League squad is unbelievable. Hopefully, I can make appearances in the Premier League and from where I have been, that would be a great achievement.”

And the 24-year-old feels the journey up the ladder of many of his team-mates will prove a weapon in Cherries’ armoury in the forthcoming campaign.

He added: “A lot of lads here don’t take anything for granted because they have played in the lower leagues and have had to graft to get here.

“I think that’s an advantage we’ll have because everyone will be out to prove themselves, both as a team and as individuals.”