Are international call ups for some Cherries just around the corner?

We have had a few guest articles on Cherry Chimes and today I have another one for you. I was kindly asked by Irish-based AFCB fan Kyle Cotter if he could write a post to be featured on Cherry Chimes as he aspires to be a football journalist. I am always keen for other supporters to get their points across to other fans and so I am pleased to hand over to Kyle today. Here is Kyle's article.

Eunan O'Kane is already catching the eye of top teams.

After such a successful season back in the second tier of English football, we look at the players who could push on and make it for their countries. AFC Bournemouth have 8 full internationals in their squad already and I would love for these players to add to that and see other players get their dream call-ups.

A quick look at the Irish lads' records shows that O’Kane and Arter have both been capped at teenage level for the Republic and U20 and U21 in the case of Eunan O'Kane, but neither have yet to be called up by Martin O’Neill to the full international squad. For Ireland's friendly against Serbia Eunan was put on the stand-by list but never met up with the Irish squad. Earlier in the season we saw the Irish assistant Roy Keane visit the Goldstands Stadium for coverage of the FA cup game against Liverpool, in which O’Kane picked up the MOTM award and no doubt impressed the four times FA cup winner. The other Irishman, Harry Arter may have a more difficult task to get into the plans off Martin O’Neill due to him not being involved with his country since U19 level in 2007, but the amount of game time he’s getting under Eddie Howe can only help his case and at the age of 24 he has plenty off time to play for his national team.

Harry Arter is consistently raising his performance and improving his discipline.

Ryan Fraser is already ahead of most players at his age.

The curtain on Ian Harte’s international career closed at a time when he still had so much to give but at 36 years old now he will need something very special to break back into the Ireland set-up. It may also be something that he no longer needs if he wants to prolong his club football career.

Ryan Fraser is really beginning to pile the pressure on Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, he played 41 times for this season for the Cherries and with his youth and experience, he would be a great addition to the Scottish squad heading into the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Another player looking for a call-up to one of the home nations is Shaun MacDonald who has one Welsh cap to his name, but with being far from the first name on Eddie Howe’s team sheet Shaun could struggle to add to his tally unless he nails down a starting spot at club level. 

We're going to stay with the home nations and talk about Lee Camp, after representing England at U21 level he switched allegiance to Northern Ireland, whom he has 9 caps for but is no longer first choice. However, having played in all the matches for AFCB since 2 November 2013, with the exception of the Burton Albion FA cup match, when Ryan Allsop deputised for him, Lee Camp has been ever-present as the Cherries no.1 keeper and may just force his way back into international reckoning again.

Lee Camp could well get an international recall.

Shaun MacDonald could well have a part to play
in Wales' forthcoming European Championship qualifiers.

The only Cherry who has international caps outside of Europe is Tokelo Rantie, with 17 caps in two years, Rantie looks set to add to these caps for South Africa and keep the goals flowing for his country, which can only be good for Eddie Howe and his men.

Our last international is Benjamin Buchel, with 6 caps for Liechtenstein since 2008 he hasn’t exactly claimed the no.1 spot for his country, like Camp, Buchel needs to be playing regularly at club level to do the same for his country. Buchel has spent the season out on loan at Poole Town and will most likely have to leave Bournemouth on a permanent basis to gain first team football regularly.

If Eddie Howe can get this club to push on from last season and reach the play-offs or better, the rewards for these players could be endless.

Well, thanks Kyle for a good review of potential AFCB players who just might make full international for the first time or regain such an accolade again in the case of a couple who have fallen out of favour at international level. As an Englishmen Cherry Chimes is now off dream of seeing some AFCB players wearing the full England shirt, I suppose some will say Adam Lallana is a product of the Cherries' youth system and perhaps Danny Ings at Burnley could break into the England squad soon, if he does well in the Premiership next season. Who knows what the future holds? Keeping the international theme going, you can catch up with a preview to England's clash with Ecuador on World Cup Chimes - Florida's pressure cooker for England.