BOURNEMOUTH MANAGER EDDIE Howe has appeared to rule out a loan exit for Mark Travers, insisting that the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper is “too important” to the club.
Travers has played in all three of Bournemouth’s cup games this season. Despite also making his senior international debut, he has yet to feature in the Cherries’ squad for a Premier League fixture in the current campaign.
The 20-year-old helped his club to a 4-0 win over Luton Town last weekend, which sets up a fourth-round meeting with Arsenal in the FA Cup later this month. However, Aaron Ramsdale and back-up stopper Artur Boruc have been preferred for top-flight duty.
When asked about the possibility of sending Travers out on loan to gain more experience, Eddie Howe told the Bournemouth Echo that it’s an idea he’s not keen on.
“No thoughts of loaning Mark. He is too important to us at the moment,” said the Bournemouth boss. “I understand he will desperately want to play. I’d want all my players to desperately want to play. But we have to make a decision together of what’s right for him next.”
Having joined Bournemouth from Shamrock Rovers in 2016, Travers helped the club to a victory over Tottenham Hotspur by marking his first-team debut with a clean sheet last May.
In a Carabao Cup game back in August, he saved all three of Forest Green’s penalties as Bournemouth advanced to the next round with a 3-0 shootout victory.
Howe added: “He’s a fantastic lad. A great worker, very focused on improving himself, which is what we’ve told him he needs to do – just focus on him and be the best Mark Travers that he can be. He’s done that every day.”
Travers made his senior debut for Ireland in a friendly against Bulgaria in September, before winning a second cap in November’s non-competitive meeting with New Zealand.
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