Bill Foley hailed after 'superb' Bournemouth announcement
Bill Foley deserves huge "kudos" for the progress that he has overseen as Bournemouth owner after their academy recently gained Category One status.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the news will help the Cherries become a "hotbed" for local talent on the South Coast.
Bournemouth were awarded the upgrade to their youth setup last week, just months after they announced the opening of their new state-of-the-art training ground.
Wyness believes that the Category One status will be "very important" for the club moving forward, and believes that they could now rival Southampton as the most esteemed academy on the South Coast.
Bournemouth have gained a reputation for giving talented young players a chance to shine in recent years, and that was highlighted again when they sold Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City back in January.
The move to become a Category One academy is a clear nod to their desire to further develop young stars, and one that Wyness believes they deserve great praise for.
Keith Wyness explains Category One benefits
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Bournemouth's Category One status sends a "big message" about where they want to go as a club.
The Cherries will now be able to organise games for their starlets against the top young talent in the country, something which will be invaluable to their development.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained the benefits that come with being a top-level academy.
"It's very important for a club because it allows you to have fixtures against the top quality of youth in the country on a regular basis, and that's the really important thing in terms of bringing young talent through," he said.
"For Bournemouth, who have got that new training facility which is superb, this is important to get that Category One because that will make them an engine of attracting young talent. It also allows you geographically to go further in terms of recruitment as well.
"They've got a lot of things going for them with a new facility, their location and also the fact that they're going to be right at the top of the game.
"Bill Foley, the owner, has done some great things as he's gone forward. He's a very interesting investor, and I've watched him closely, and I've got to give him kudos for the way they've handled things.
"Category One is a big message for Bournemouth. Southampton for many years were always seen as the top academy on the South Coast, but now Bournemouth are going to be up there as well."
Bournemouth plot move for Hearts sensation
Football Insider revealed last week that Bournemouth are eyeing up a move for highly-rated Hearts goalkeeper Finlay Jamieson.
The Scotland U16 international is on the radar of several clubs in the Premier League, with the Cherries keen to land him as part of a bid to strengthen their youth setup.
Jamieson cannot sign a professional contract at Tynecastle until he turns 17 next summer, which leaves them vulnerable to losing him in the coming months.
Bournemouth are one of several English clubs to have their eyes on the starlet, and would have to agree a compensation package with Hearts in order to sign him.