FORMER Cherries winger Ryan Fraser has returned to the south coast - on loan at Southampton.

The Scot arrives from Newcastle United on a deal until the end of the season.

Fraser had been a fans’ favourite at Cherries, until his time at the club ended on a sour note.

The former Aberdeen man opted not to extend his expiring Cherries contract during the COVID-affected 2019-20 season.

Cherries would go on to be relegated from the Premier League under Eddie Howe.

Upon joining Newcastle on a free transfer, Fraser said: “Obviously I made the decision not to play and got battered for it.

“Everyone has got their opinions but, at the end of the day, I need to look after myself. My contract was done, so it’s not like I refused to play any games.

“The worst thing is that I didn’t want them to go down – it would have been a lot easier if they had stayed up. With me playing, without being big-headed, I think I would have helped massively.”

Fraser, who played 208 games for Cherries, was then reunited with Howe, when the boss joined Newcastle.

He initially performed well, before falling out of favour under Howe and was sent to train with the club’s under-21s last season.

Discussing his decision to join Championship Saints, Fraser said: “The club doesn’t deserve to be down here. We need to get back up as soon as possible this season, and all the lads will be doing everything we can to get us there. 

“I’m just so happy to be here.”