SKIPPER Jason Pearce revealed the major reason behind his decision to pen a new deal by insisting: “The club is going forward and I want to be part of that.”

The inspirational centre-half has agreed to top up his existing contract by a further 12 months, meaning he is tied to the Dean Court outfit for the next three years.

Pearce’s decision to pledge his allegiance came as the latest boost to Cherries, who have bolstered their resources with six new recruits this summer.

Eddie Howe’s captain is now relishing his next challenge – leading the team in League One.

Having played a crucial role in the club’s promotion from the basement division, he cannot wait to test himself in the third tier again.

The 22-year-old told the Echo: “We’re outsiders. I think the main thing for us is to stay in the league.

“We’ve just gone back up so I think every team that gets promoted wants to stay in the league.

“I feel we’ve got a good team and a good nucleus of a team. We’ve brought in some good players as well, so I think we can have a real good go next season.

“It’s going to be a harder league. We’re in a higher league so there will be harder teams to play against.

“Expectations probably won’t be as high, but we believe we’re good enough.

“I think the standard of League One is going to be very high next season, so we’re going to have to step up. We’ve brought in some good players so, hopefully, we can have a good go.”

Recruited from Portsmouth by Kevin Bond, Pearce has forged a fearsome reputation for himself since arriving at Dean Court.

Renowned as a tough-tackling defender and dubbed ‘Terminator’ for his no-nonsense style, he was appointed captain by Howe last season.

He has played more than 100 league games for the club and has experienced the full range of emotions, from the agony of relegation to the joy of promotion, as well as off-field sagas.

Reflecting on his Cherries career so far, Pearce added: “It’s been a great learning curve and experience for me.

“From such a young age, I’ve been through pretty much everything a player can go through at this level.

“I’ve really enjoyed it. There have been some low points and some high points.

“The club is moving forward now so that is another reason why I wanted to sign. I feel like the club is going forward and I want to be part of that.”

Midfielder Anton Robinson also extended his deal as Cherries continued their policy of securing their top stars on longer contracts. Liam Feeney, Marvin Bartley, Ryan Garry and Shwan Jalal all put pen to paper during last season, while veteran targetman Steve Fletcher agreed terms yesterday.

• Chairman Eddie Mitchell has revealed that Seward has agreed a deal to sponsor the club’s fourth stand.

A two-year deal has been struck to sponsor the temporary enclosure at the south end of Dean Court.

Mitchell said: “I don’t really want to say how much (the deal is worth) but it is quite a good figure. It was great to have someone straight in to sponsor it.”

The temporary seating has a capacity of 1,160 and is being erected to accommodate an anticipated increase in attendances following Cherries’ promotion to League One.