Bournemouth Winger Ryan Fraser Admits Asking Eddie Howe if He Could Play for U21s to Get Game Time

AFC Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser has conceded that he asked Eddie Howe if he could participate in the U21s game against Plymouth Argyle to regain his match fitness, according to the club's website. 

The Scotland international has yet to return to the Cherries' starting line up since sustaining a hamstring injury following his side's Carabao Cup clash with Middlesborough. 

The winger was therefore eager for any kind of opportunity to restore himself to full fitness, citing it was he who asked to drop down to the youth levels for some valuable game time, not the other way around.

Speaking to the club, Fraser said, "I just need to get back to doing what I do. When I get to that stage, I just need a little boost in confidence and I’ll be back.

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"You do a lot in training but the moment you get out onto the pitch, it is completely different - you need those scenarios on the pitch.

"I asked the gaffer after the Scotland game whether I could play, he said no straight away. So I did a bit on Monday, trained on Tuesday and then he rang me and said I was playing!

“But I wanted to be out there, I want to regain my confidence."

Regarding the U21 game itself, Fraser explained: “We had a lot of young players playing, and I looked at their team and I know all of those lads!

“They had ten first team players playing so it was a difficult test, but to go 3-0 at half time was great.

“We had a poor start to the second half but to win against essentially a League One team is massive."

Meanwhile, the senior side currently sit one place above the relegation zone in 17th, but will be hoping to achieve their first consecutive wins of the season when facing Huddersfield this Saturday, having beating Newcastle at St James' Park prior to the international break.