YOUNG goalkeeper Will Dennis is hoping to "progress to push myself into that starting line-up one day" after signing a new three-and-a-half year contract with Cherries.

The 19-year-old, who is part of the first-team squad alongside fellow keepers Aaron Ramsdale, Artur Boruc and Mark Travers, has featured regularly for the club's under-21s this term.

He was also named on the bench for the Carabao Cup trip to Burton Albion in September.

Dennis joined Cherries from Watford in 2016, penning his first professional contract two years ago. Following loan spells at Weymouth and Guernsey, he was promoted into the first-team squad last summer.

And he has now been rewarded with a new long-term deal.

"I'm very happy," Dennis told afcbTV.

"It's a good time for me and the family and it's nice to be given something that I've worked hard for.

"You've obviously got Rambo in goal at the moment. He's playing well. You've got Travs as well behind him and you've got Boruc in training, he's been a big part of it in, an extra adult around teaching us all and I'm lucky to be around it all training with them so I'm learning a lot from them.

"You've seen that the manager likes to give chances to young players so that's a positive for me, for my mindset. I want to look towards doing that and hopefully progress to push myself into that starting line-up one day."

Discussing the decision to offer Dennis a new deal, Cherries chief executive Neill Blake said: "Will has made huge progress under our goalkeeping coaches and is fully deserving of this new contract.

"He is a very talented young player with a bright future ahead of him, if he continues to apply himself in the way he has been."