IF Cherries’ trio of new recruits from the non-league ranks want a role model, they need look no further than Wade Elliott.

A late starter himself at 21, Elliott’s career has flourished ever since Mel Machin plucked him from Southern League Bashley in 2000.

It remains to be seen just how far Gary Bowles, Wes Fogden and Charlie Sheringham will progress after stepping into the pro ranks with Cherries this season.

But if Bowles, 22, and 23-year-olds Fogden and Sheringham come close to matching Elliott’s successes, exciting times will be on the horizon for the newcomers from the Conference South.

Elliott’s big break came after former Cherries, Saints and Liverpool midfielder Jimmy Case – then Bashley manager – had recommended him to Machin.

Released by Southampton as a 16-year-old, Elliott, who was capped by England schoolboys, probably thought his chance had gone as he combined playing for Bash with studying towards a degree in sociology and communications.

He started out in the New Forest outfit’s youth ranks, playing alongside Simon Davies, who went on to play for Fulham, and David Billington, who earned a big-money move to Sheffield Wednesday.

“We had a really good side and it was a good grounding,” said Elliott, speaking to the Daily Echo this week. “Then, I started playing for the first team and was fortunate Jimmy and Barry Blankley were there. Jimmy opened the door for me at Bournemouth and Bashley didn’t stand in my way.”

Cherries supporters quickly took to Elliott, the flying winger scoring 37 goals in 257 appearances for the club before he moved to Burnley on a free transfer in July 2005.

“When I first arrived at Bournemouth, the immediate thing was to not feel inferior to the people around me,” said Elliott. “I walked into an environment that was alien to me and the other lads my age had all been at the club for three or four years. They knew everybody, knew the way things worked and knew all the conventions. It was all new to me.

“While it was exciting, the big thing for me was to feel I belong-ed there. I was there on merit and deserved to be at a pro club. Especially now, a background in non-league is an equally valid path as being an apprentice or coming in any other way.

“My time with Bashley was a great learning experience. We trained a couple of times a week and you probably don’t develop as quickly technically if you aren’t playing every day.

“But by the time I had signed for Bournemouth, I had played around 150 games in men’s football. It wasn’t Football League standard but it was a decent level and was a tough league.

“Lads my age who had come through the ranks at Bournemouth had probably played 20-odd reserve games in two years. I think my grounding made me ready for the first team. I could step straight in to playing Saturday-Tuesday.”

The pinnacle of Elliott’s career so far came when he scored the only goal of the 2009 Championship play-off final to propel Burnley into the Premier League.

However, having left Turf Moor for Carling Cup winners Birmingham City in August, the 32-year-old is now also showcasing himself on the European stage and bagged his first goal in the Europa League last month.

Elliott, speaking to the Echo ahead of the Blues’ trip to Club Bruges on Thursday, added: “When I was at Bashley, I thought perhaps my chance had gone. I have always felt I am making up for lost time and have never wasted a minute of my career. I hate missing games and training and want to get as much from my career as possible. Part of that is down to coming into the game quite late.

“I am not the only one who has done that from starting at Bournemouth. More than most clubs, they have had a lot of joy out of non-league in the past few years. Fortunately for me and other players, the club has seen it as a good route for them to pursue.”