BOSS Lee Bradbury handed Mark Molesley and Harry Arter extended south coast stays and then insisted they possessed the potential to flourish at Dean Court.

The midfield duo this week put pen to paper on deals which tie them both to Cherries until the summer of 2013.

Molesley, who has just returned to fitness following 15 months out with a persistent foot injury, is a popular figure among supporters.

A key performer prior to being sidelined, the 29-year-old could make his eagerly awaited first team comeback in the League One clash at Walsall this afternoon (3pm).

Arter, a summer signing from the non-league ranks, impressed during pre-season and Bradbury was keen to secure the bright prospect.

The Cherries chief believes the pair can be big players for the club and is tipping them to shine with Bournemouth.

Giving his views on Molesley, Bradbury told the Echo: “Mark has been a really good asset for the club over the years.

“He has had a terrible time with injury. I wanted to put his mind at rest.

“We want him at the club and want him to fulfil his potential here.

“It will give him a lift and it will be like having a new signing around the place. We see him as a good asset.

“He is a creative midfielder and he scores goals as well. He is always looking to thread little balls forward and is not scared to put his foot in either.”

Discussing Arter, Bradbury said: “He is quite young but the potential he has is massive. We just need to keep working on him.

“He is another who can play in the hole, central midfield or on the left or right, so he gives us options and we want to have quality in depth throughout the squad.

“We are working with Harry and I’m sure he will be a really big player for the club.”

Bradbury, who took charge following Eddie Howe’s departure to Burnley, added: “We want to keep the team together.

“We’ve come in and spoken about the players we want to keep and we want to try to tie them down until 2013 so we can concentrate on building the club.

“Longer deals give them a little bit of security and they (Molesley and Arter) are players we want to keep.

“They are young lads – Harry is 20 and Moles is 29 but came into the (professional) game late – and I’m sure both of them can go on to do brilliantly for us.”

Cherries confirmed that Molesley signed a new contract as his deal was set to expire at the end of the season, while Arter, originally contracted until 2012, was given an extension for a further year.

Danny Ings and Joe Partington also committed themselves to the club until 2013 when they signed deals last week.