CHERRIES have released under-21s trio Callum Buckley, Jake McCarthy and Matt Neale following the expiry of their respective contracts.

Central-defender Buckley, a Cherries academy graduate, has penned a one-year deal with Southern Premier League Weymouth.

Terras manager and Cherries under-21 interim boss Mark Molesley said: "Callum ticks all the boxes for what we want to do. He is young, hungry and, most importantly, he is very talented.

“To get him to drop a level means he has bought into the vision we have for this club and we hope we can provide the environment for him to thrive."

The 21-year-old ended last season on loan at Aldershot in the National League, where he played four times.

Buckley has previously enjoyed temporary stints with Dorchester Town, Concord Rangers, Basingstoke Town and Eastbourne Borough.

He was an unused substitute when Cherries beat Preston in a League Cup tie in the 2015-16 season and again when they were knocked out of the same competition by the same team last September.

McCarthy's last appearance for the club came in this month's Hampshire Senior Cup final, when Cherries suffered a penalty shootout defeat by Basingstoke after a scoreless draw at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium.

The 21-year-old defender-cum-midfielder joined Cherries as a 12-year-old and penned his most recent deal in 2015. He made four appearances during a loan spell with National League Maidstone in the second half of the recently finished campaign.

Neale overcame a long-term injury to win a professional contract at Vitality Stadium in February last year.

The 19-year-old winger spent the final months of the 2016-17 campaign on loan with Southern South & West team Wimborne Town, managed by ex-Cherries midfielder Matty Holmes.

A statement on the club's website said: "AFC Bournemouth thank the three players for their efforts with the club and wish them well for their futures."