Steve Cook has said his farewells to AFC Bournemouth after over 10 years at the south coast club.

The centre-back has secured a move to fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest on a two-and-a-half year deal, with his contract at the Vitality Stadium set to expire at the end of the season.

Cook came through the academy at Brighton & Hove Albion and joined the Cherries on an initial loan deal in 2011 when they were in League One, before making that deal permanent a few months later.

The 30-year-old was a major part of the club's success over the years, winning two promotions and making 389 appearances for the Cherries in all competitions, scoring 21 times.

Gary Cahill's arrival at the club in the summer pushed Cook down the pecking order though under Scott Parker even though he was sidelined with a long-term injury, but he returned in late November to make his last three appearances for Bournemouth.

A 2-0 defeat to Blackburn last month proved to be the curtain call for Cook and he's penned an emotional message to Cherries fans after securing his move to Forest.

The Verdict

It's certainly a heartfelt message from Cook to fans of a club he clearly holds dear to his heart.

It would have been a tough decision to decide to depart but sometimes after being in one place for so long you just want a fresh start.

With Lloyd Kelly and Chris Mepham now the long-term solution for Bournemouth at centre-back, coupled with Gary Cahill's performances, it left Cook somewhat out in the cold despite a man of the match performance against Fulham last month.

But he will probably slot straight into Steve Cooper's back three at Forest alongside Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna and that's a back three that looks on paper to be a really top Championship trio.