GARY O’Neil declared himself “very proud” of his Cherries squad for the way they approached Sunday’s season finale at Everton.

Despite having already secured their mathematical safety, Cherries faced a side in Everton who needed to victory to ensure their own survival.

A raucous atmosphere greeted O’Neil’s men at Goodison Park, the hosts eventually coming out 1-0 winners thanks to a thumping Abdoulaye Doucoure strike.

That result meant neither Leicester City nor Leeds United could escape falling through the trapdoor into the Championship, alongside Southampton.

“Anybody that maybe questioned Bournemouth’s motivation (on Sunday) and how we would arrive, I am very proud of the group again,” Cherries boss O’Neil told the Daily Echo.

“They came and gave absolutely everything to win a game of football for 100 minutes, didn’t stop for a second.

“In terms of integrity and coming to a tough place and making sure we did things properly, I was very proud of what I saw.”

He added: “We got to 39 points early and it’s given us a few weeks to do some work on stuff that we need to improve.

“There was lots of it (on Sunday). There were some real good situations that we had and I’m excited to work with the group again next season.

“They’re an incredible group and it’s my responsibility to make sure we keep improving.”