AFC Bournemouth will be seeking to make an immediate return to the Premier League this season as they continue with their goal of achieving promotion in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs. 

The Cherries made the best start possible to their two legged semi final against Brentford as they ran out 1-0 winners at the Vitality Stadium on Monday evening thanks to a well taken goal by the influential Arnaut Danjuma.

Plenty of players have stepped up to the mark for the South Coast club over the past 12 months and they will be expected to continue that trend heading into the second leg as they travel to West London.

Despite possessing a great degree of foreign talent, the club has always been built on having a great core of English players, with many making long term impacts in years gone by.

Here, we take a look at the top TEN best English players to have played for AFC Bournemouth in the last 20 years.

Wilson proved to be an inspired signing for the Cherries after he was brought in from Coventry City by Eddie Howe and would go on to become a key figure in getting the club to the Premier League as he led the line to great effect for what was a very exciting Bournemouth side during that season.

He would then continue to find the net on a regular basis for the South Coast outfit in the top flight and eventually received a call up to the England national team as a reward for his performances.

He now plays for Newcastle United after leaving the Cherries following their relegation to the Championship.

Surman was a sturdy and consistent midfield player who got the job done well for his side during the two spells he spent on the South Coast as the club achieved a lot of success under Eddie Howe.

His performances in the engine room during the club's promotion campaign that took them to the Premier League earnt him widespread praise for his domineering showings in the centre of the park.

On the club's debut season in the top flight, Surman was one of three players who played in every minute of every league match that season alongside the likes of Wes Morgan and Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City.

Hayter quickly established himself as one of the best strikers outside of the Premier League after coming through the youth ranks with the Cherries and would go on to become well sought after as he banged in the goals for his boyhood club during a 10 year spell on the South Coast.

To this day he still holds the record for the fastest ever hattrick in the Football League after he netted a treble against Wrexham in two minutes and 21.88 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 84th minute.

He left the club in 2007 as Doncaster Rovers played a club record fee for his services.

Hollands was another midfield player who played a key role in keeping the club in the Football League and renowned for popping up with important goals for the Cherries during his time on the South Coast, whilst he was also captain for a period.

He then went on to play a key role in getting the club into League One before departing for pastures new with Charlton Athletic after the club lost out in the play-offs during the 2010/11 campaign.

Then came spells at Portsmouth, Crewe Alexandra and Eastleigh, with the veteran still plying his trade in non league.

A versatile player who always performed consistently for the Cherries during his time with the club, Cooper was captain of the side which overcame a 17 point deduction to preserve their Football League status during the 2008/09 campaign in what was one of the club's finest hours.

He would then go on to play a key role in helping the club to get up the leagues before leaving in 2012, from which point he went on to take in spells with the likes of Portsmouth, Torquay and Sutton United before hanging up his boots in December 2017.

He has since been working with the Bournemouth youth set up.

The ever consistent and present left back was with the club for the best part of nine years and played a vital role in helping the South Coast side to get from League One to the Premier League as he formed a key part of what was a core group of players that were mainstays in the team.

His time with Bournemouth sadly came to an end after he sustained a serious injury during his final few years with the club and he has since gone on to take in spells with both Shrewsbury Town and Portsmouth as he continues to play on.

The pint sized winger played an important role in getting the Cherries from League One all the way up to the Premier League, with his dribbling skills and ability to get past players with ease wowing many of the club's supporters during what was a nine year spell on the South Coast.

Pugh made 312 appearances in total for Bournemouth, scoring 56 goals during a time in which the club enjoyed their most successful ever period and he also had a hand in the club's first ever win in the Premier League as the beat West Ham United 4-3 at Upton Park.

The former centre forward still retains legendary status on the South Coast after his contributions for the Cherries over the years and will always be remembered for scoring the goals that not only bred success but also helped to seal survival for his side.

Born in Hartlepool, Fletcher quickly won over the hearts of many during his time at Dean Court and went on to score 121 goals in over 700 games during a spell in which he went on to have a stand named after himself.

He now works as an ambassador for the club at various events in and around the community.

The defender had been a mainstay in the Bournemouth defence up to his retirement and makes it onto our list after dedicating the majority of his career to the cause on the South Coast as he usually operated at the heart of the backline or at right back.

Francis initially joined the club in League One and was instrumental in helping the Cherries to get to the Championship, thus earning himself the club's player of the year award in the process.

He then went on to help his side progress to the Premier League under Eddie Howe over a period of eight years.

The veteran striker makes it to number one in our list, with the frontman having notched up a brilliant 100 goals in over 280 games for the Cherries during his time on the South Coast, thus earning him the adulation from the Bournemouth faithful.

Pitman has scored goals at almost every level of the Football League and is fondly remembered for playing a big role in getting the Vitality Stadium outfit up the leagues until they reached the heady heights of the Premier League under Eddie Howe.

The 33-year-old now turns out for Swindon Town in the lower reaches of the EFL.