STRIKER Daniel Adu-Adjei has put pen-to-paper on a new contract at Cherries, after an impressive season for the club’s development squad.

Adu-Adjei was voted as the 2023-24 academy player of the year, having notched 25 goals across 25 games.

He also spent some time out on loan, gaining his first taste of EFL action during a spell at Leyton Orient.

Largely limited to appearances off the bench, Adu-Adjei did feature in 10 League One games for the O’s, scoring in the final-day win against Shrewsbury Town.

In January, Adu-Adjei made his competitive Cherries debut, coming on for the closing stages of a 3-2 FA Cup win at Queens Park Rangers.

Adu-Adjei, 18, has penned a ‘long-term contract’, having previously been tied down until the summer of 2025.

Discussing his new deal, the striker said: “I am really happy. I would like to thank God, my family, all the coaches for helping me to get to this stage.

“I am happy to score the number of goals I did.

“I think it’s probably the best goalscoring season I’ve had since I’ve been here. It was also really nice to cap it off with being named academy player of the year, as well as my first EFL goal.

“It’s nice to get that trust from the club, to secure my future. Hopefully I can repay it, it gives me the confidence to keep going, improving and pushing.

“It has been nice to get this reward and I just want to kick on next season.”

Adu-Adjei, who joined Cherries in March 2021 after his release from Fulham, added: “I think I have learned a lot coming to Bournemouth.

"At that stage where it becomes full-time, it is really important to be at a place that can really help you make that transition from schoolboy to full-time football.

“Bournemouth is the perfect place for that and it’s showing in what I’ve done on the pitch as well.

“I have also learned a lot off the pitch, and I am really enjoying my time here.”