BOSS Eddie Howe welcomed the arrival of Cherries’ record signing Tyrone Mings and said he hoped the defender would continue his fairytale career at Dean Court.

Mings, who operates predominantly at left-back, today put the finishing touches to his £8million move from Ipswich when he penned a four-year deal with Cherries.

The 22-year-old became Howe’s fifth addition since Cherries clinched a place in the Premier League, joining Artur Boruc, Adam Federici, Joshua King and Christian Atsu.

His rise to the top flight caps a remarkable and rapid climb for a player who was turning out in the Southern League for Chippenham Town less than three years ago.

Mings combined playing semi-pro with his full-time job as a mortgage advisor before getting his big break following a trial at Ipswich in December 2012.

Released by Southampton as a schoolboy after being told he was too small, Mings cost Ipswich the princely sum of £10,000 – a goodwill payment as he had not been under contract to Chippenham.

He spent the first 18 months at Portman Road playing second fiddle to Aaron Cresswell before bursting on to the scene last season after his team-mate had joined West Ham.

Mings, who stands 6ft 5ins, turned in a series of eye-catching displays and had been tracked by a host of Premier League clubs, with Arsenal and Chelsea among them.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo, Howe said: “It has been a really good story for Tyrone. Although it is rare, you have seen it with the likes of him, Charlie Austin and various other players who have come from non-league.

“I think it is the hardest way to do it and he deserves a lot of credit for his dramatic rise. Hopefully, this is just the start and there is a lot more to come from him.”

Howe added: “He fits our profile perfectly and was the type of player we were looking for. He has very good physical attributes, he is tall and quick. He really does tick all the boxes in terms of his physicality.

“He is also good technically and can play. He fits our mould of what we look for in a full-back so I am delighted and looking forward to seeing him play and develop into our squad. With his attributes and how we play, I am sure he will do very well and think it’s a good match.”

The arrival of Mings will certainly spice up competition at left-back with Charlie Daniels having been pivotal to Cherries’ recent success.

Howe said: “We had competition for places all through the squad last season and it brought out the best in everybody. It is what we are looking for in every position and nobody has a divine right to play.

“With Ian Harte leaving, it meant we needed to bring in a left-back and I am delighted to sign one of Tyrone’s quality.”