Nathan Ake: Bournemouth loanee looking forward to midfield role
Last updated on .From the section Football
Bournemouth loanee Nathan Ake says he has joined the Cherries from parent club Chelsea to gain Premier League experience as a central midfielder.
Ake, 21, played predominantly as a left-back during 28 appearances on loan at Watford last season.
New Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is behind the idea of a midfield role for the Netherlands Under-21 international.
"To get an eye on how I cope, I think he wants to see me play a season there in the Premier League," Ake said.
"The manager has been in discussions with the technical director (Michael Emenalo) at Chelsea. After this season, we'll see how I get on," he told BBC Radio Solent.
Ake was part of the Watford side who reached last season's FA Cup semi-final as well as a 13th-place finish in the Hornets' first season back in the top flight.
After joining the rest of the Bournemouth squad on a 10-day pre-season training trip to Chicago, he said he was looking forward to the challenge.
"I'm looking to improve myself as a player and get more games under my belt," he added.
"There are also little things I can work on, but it depends which position I'm going to play. I know I can improve a lot of things, hopefully I can do that here."
