CHERRIES have moved swiftly to tie down another one of the most exciting young, British talents from the Championship.

Bristol City defender Lloyd Kelly has arrived at Vitality Stadium for a fee of around £13million, less than a week after the Premier League season came to a close.

Kelly has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs after an impressive season with hometown team Bristol City, making 34 appearances as the Robins finished eighth in the Championship.

Still only 20, Kelly is also making big strides on the international scene, looking well-placed to be a part of Aidy Boothroyd’s England under-21 squad for this summer’s European Championships.

Born in Bristol in October 1998, Kelly was truly a homegrown hero at the Robins.

Joining the academy aged 12 having been recruited locally playing for Bristol Central, Kelly progressed all the way through the age groups and was regularly the captain of Bristol City’s under-23s side.

The defender, who can play as a full-back or in the centre, was part of the first-team’s pre-season training camp in Portugal in 2015, shortly after completing his GCSEs, and he went on to sign his first pro deal later that year.

As well as being an exciting talent on the field, Howe also takes a player’s off-field character into serious consideration.

And Kelly seems to fit the mould.

Taken into foster care at a young age, Kelly admits that made him “see life from a different perspective” and he has since always been keen to throw himself into challenges.

The youngster undertook work with Bristol City’s Community Trust in Botswana as a teenager and he was also shortlisted for the Apprentice of the Year prize at the 2017 EFL Awards after completing an NVQ and passing his coaching qualifications.

Despite training with the first team in 2015, Kelly had to wait two years for his senior debut.

That came as a substitute in an EFL Cup clash against Plymouth in August 2017 with his Championship bow arriving in December.

From March 2018, Kelly has been a regular in the Bristol City side and he was named as the club’s young player of the year for the 2017-18 campaign.

Kelly leaves having netted two goals in 48 appearances for the Robins.

Away from club football, the defender has also been making waves on the international scene.

Just a few weeks on from his Robins debut, an 18-year-old Kelly made his first appearance for the England under-20s in a 3-0 win over Holland.

A handful of caps followed, many as captain, before he was parachuted into the under-21s set-up following a spate of injuries to Aidy Boothroyd’s squad.

He has played three times at that level, most recently in March of this year and he was also called in to train with Gareth Southgate’s senior England squad 12 months earlier.

Speaking in December, Robins boss Lee Johnson said: “If you’re a Premier League club and you’re not interested in Lloyd Kelly, you’re not doing your recruitment right.”

Cherries certainly appear to have stolen a march on some of their Premier League rivals.