EDDIE Howe says he is delighted at the fashion in which a couple of Cherries’ young talents are grasping their opportunities to play football elsewhere.

Ben Whitfield struck a crucial goal for loan club Yeovil Town last week, while teenage striker Sam Surridge is enjoying a prolific spell with Poole Town.

And while another Cherries forward, Glenn Murray, is grabbing headlines for his goalscoring feats at Championship club Brighton, Howe is keeping abreast of the fortunes of all his players currently performing for other clubs.

Howe told the Daily Echo: “We have various boys out on loan and you want to see them do well. The young lads, like Ben, who are trying to establish their careers, at whatever level, it’s really important they attack those loans and try to do as well as they can. He is a goalscorer, a goalscoring midfielder. So I’m delighted for him, and for Yeovil, that he scored that goal.”

Whitfield’s strike deep into stoppage time earned Yeovil a 2-2 draw at Stevenage on November 12. The midfielder emerged from the bench again at the weekend to play a key role in the Glovers’ 2-1 League Two victory over Colchester, while Whitfield’s fellow Cherries’ loanee Matt Butcher made his 18th appearance for Yeovil in the same match.

Surridge, meanwhile, has found the net eight times since linking up with National League South team Poole.

“I’m really pleased to see Sam doing so well,” said Howe. “I think he’s a player of real potential for us. It’s not easy, whatever level you go to, to score. He’s certainly doing that for Poole, so that’s good for them and good for us.”