The name Thomas Evrard might not mean a lot to the casual Bournemouth fan, but for those who follow the club’s youth setup, perhaps it rings a bell.
The young defender, currently at Royal Excel Mouscron, spent a year with the Cherries’ U18s back during the 2016-17 season before leaving for Royal Francs Borain.
He was then bought by his current club for £27k over the summer, where he’s having the time of his life.
Speaking to La Nouvelle Gazette in Belgium, the right-back was asked about his time at Vitality Stadium, and he only had good things to say about it.
Why he left, however, is something that appears to be more and more common with young footballers these days.
He explained: “I had been scouted by Bournemouth, where I stayed for a year. Unfortunately, it ended badly because of a problem with my former agent, but on the football side of things, everything went really well.“Everything had been put in place to facilitate my integration, I took English lessons and I progressed a lot, both on the fitness and tactical side of things because it’s not at all the same football. In Belgium, they focus on building from the back whereas in England, it was more about defending.”
Still on a youth contract, Evrard explains his goal is to become a professional footballer in the near future, and Mouscron could be the ideal place for him.
Just a shame it’s no longer at Bournemouth.
