Goalkeeper Artur Boruc was 'born for the big occasion'

The Polish stopper has been ever-present in the competition this season and could line up when Cherries tomorrow visit Chelsea (7.45pm) in a bid to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Boruc joined the Dorset club on a free transfer in 2015 having impressed while on loan from Southampton as Howe’s men won the Championship.

A three-time league title winner with Celtic, the 38-year-old has featured in the knockout stages of the Champions’ League and the World Cup with Poland.

Despite his game time being limited to cup competitions in the past two campaigns, manager Howe remains a believer in Boruc to deliver on the grandest stages.

He told the Daily Echo: “I have no problem with the big occasion for Artur – he was almost born for them.

“Artur for me has always been a big-game player. He relishes the bigger occasion and will try to rise to it.

“He has had that mentality throughout his career, otherwise he wouldn’t have got to the levels he has.

“When you look at your goalkeeper, you need to feel confident and see a reassuring presence there and Artur has all those qualities.

“He has seen most things in football and has been at the very highest level for a long time now.

“He knows what he needs to do and how to look after his body and himself. I have been really pleased with him.”

The Siedlce-born star has been limited to just nine appearances since Cherries signed Asmir Begovic from Chelsea for £10million in the summer of 2017.

But Howe believes the duo, who boast 126 senior international caps between them, have a positive relationship.

“Artur’s daily conduct in terms of how he has trained and his mentality to training has been at the highest level,” said the Cherries manager.

“He has supported Asmir superbly. There is a really good relationship between the two of them and a nice dynamic.

“They want each other to do well, which is really difficult sometimes with very big personalities.

“When Artur has played in the cup competitions he has played at a very high level. He has been outstanding for us.”

Victory over the Blues would put Cherries just three games away from a first major piece of silverware.

Howe added: “It’s a cup competition and we are keen to see if we can win a trophy.

“That may sound a few steps ahead, which it is, but in order to do that you have to get over the next hurdle, which is Chelsea.

“We are very keen to keep treading fresh ground for the club – taking it to places it’s never been before. Our incentive is there and our motivation is very high.”