CHERRIES boss Eddie Howe is confident new recruit Emerson Hyndman can bridge the gap between the Championship and the Premier League.

Free agent Hyndman became Howe’s first summer addition when he joined Cherries on a four-year deal after rejecting the offer of a new contract with Fulham.

Cherries agreed a compensation package of around £750,000 for the 20-year-old, who had also been linked with Manchester United, West Ham, Celtic, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

Hyndman, who left home in Dallas at 15 to join the Fulham Academy, has won two senior caps for USA but was not included in their squad for the COPA America Centenario.

He experienced fluctuating fortunes with the Cottagers last season, with a broken collarbone partly responsible for him being restricted to 16 appearances in the Championship.

Initially, new Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic, who took over in December, said he felt Hyndman was not up to a relegation battle.

However, he changed his tune after Hyndman had celebrated his 20th birthday by netting a dramatic stoppage-time winner over Cardiff in April, a victory which went a long way towards keeping them up.

Hyndman, who captained USA in the Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, is due to link up with Howe’s squad when Cherries report back for the start of pre-season training early next month.

Howe told the Daily Echo: “He is a talented young player who is highly thought of in the game. He is very good technically.

“He played for Fulham at the end of last season and did very well for them after getting his breakthrough.

“He is a player of huge potential who we see coming in and developing under us and, hopefully, having a big future with the club.”

Howe added: “No doubt he had other options and I know he was linked with other clubs.

“Hopefully, he sees us as a progressive and ambitious club which prides itself on improving and developing players and that tipped the balance in our favour.

“There is always an adapting period for any player but, with Emerson’s attributes, we anticipate he will settle in quickly with us.

“I think he has the basics to perform well in our midfield. He is a very good ball receiver, he has a good array of passes and he has a great attitude to the game.

“I see really bright things in the future for him.”

Hyndman is understood to have taken advice from USA national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann before deciding to join Cherries.

In a recent interview with GotSoccer, the American soccer company which Cherries legend Ted MacDougall has an association with, Hyndman said: “There are different sorts of clubs, different places, different leagues, there are different paths you can take.

“You take a bigger club and possibly not play as much, maybe go on loan or you can settle for a good solid club, maybe not fighting for the same things but you will get more chances along the way.”