VOTING to decide the recipient of this year’s Micky Cave/Daily Echo AFC Bournemouth player of the year is well under way – but which Cherries heroes have previously won the award?

First awarded at the end of the 1986/87 season, the Micky Cave trophy was named after the former Cherries defender who sadly passed away in November 1984.

This season there are 17 players eligible for the 38th edition of the award, with voting closing at 12pm on Friday, May 10.

You can vote via this link here.

To be eligible for voting, players had to have made 20 appearances for Cherries this season.

As such, previous award winner Mark Travers is ineligible, having started the season on loan at Stoke City.

Travers is the only previous winner in the current playing squad, although a whole host of names remain at the club.

Player of the season for the 2012/13 campaign, Tommy Elphick, is currently a first-team coach at Vitality Stadium, whilst 2009/10’s winner Brett Pitman enjoys a role in the academy.

Named by Daily Echo readers as the standout performer in the 1994/95 season, Steve Fletcher now has an ambassadorial role at the club, with Carl Fletcher, winner of the trophy in 2002/03, currently in the role of loans manager.

Four players have won the award twice, with the most recent man to do so being current Cherries assistant technical director Simon Francis (2013/14 and 2015/16).

Francis followed in the footsteps of fellow defenders Jason Pearce (2008/09 and 2010/11), Howe (1997/98 and 1998/99) and Shaun Teale (1989/90 and 1990/91), the latter two the only players to have won the award in consecutive seasons.

Away from the club, a handful of names are still playing football.

In the Premier League, Nathan Ake (2017/18) was a key cog in the treble-winning Manchester City side last season, whilst Ryan Fraser (2018/19) has been exiled from Eddie Howe's Newcastle United squad, spending this campaign on loan at Southampton in the Championship.

Aaron Ramsdale (2019/20) is currently back-up to David Raya at Arsenal.

2020/21 winner Asmir Begovic lines up alongside 2016/17 player of the season Steve Cook at Championship side Queens Park Rangers - the latter winning QPR's player of the year for this campaign.

Harry Arter (2014/15) is still on the books at Nottingham Forest, whilst Pitman combines his coaching role in Cherries academy with a part-time playing career at Shaftesbury.

Danny Hollands (2007-08) is another player still going in non-league, the evergreen midfielder missing out on promotion with Gosport Borough this season.

The current incumbent is Jefferson Lerma, the midfielder voted Cherries’ best player in their first season back in the Premier League before leaving on a free transfer to Crystal Palace.

Marc Pugh (2011/12) recently retired to focus on his work as a health coach and nutrition advisor, whilst Pearce is coaching in Charlton Athletic's academy.

Wade Elliott (2000/01) entered into football management with Cheltenham this season, but lost his job as the Robins struggled in League One.

Warren Feeney, who won the award the season after Elliott (2001/02) has recently left his role as Glentoran boss in his native Northern Ireland.

Cherries legend Howe is not the only winner to go on and manage the club, with 1991/92 winner Kevin Bond also spending time in the dugout.

Goalkeeper Gerry Peyton was the first winner of the trophy in 1986/87, with a host of shot stoppers claiming the award in recent seasons.

The aforementioned Travers was named player of the season at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, following in the footsteps of fellow goalies Begovic (2021/22) and Ramsdale (2020/21).

Although top goalscorer Dominic Solanke is a leading contender to lift this season’s award, there has been somewhat of a drought since a striker was last named supporters’ player of the year.

The last frontman to win the honour was Pitman in 2009/10, one of just six forwards to win the award, the first being Luther Blissett in 1988/89.

Overall, Cherries supporters over the years have consistently recognised members of the backline for their efforts, with a defender winning the award on 16 occasions.

The most recent defender to be named player of the season by Daily Echo readers was Ake for his exploits in the 2017/18 season.

Below is a full list of winners from over the years.