Dominic Solanke scored his first goal for A.F.C Bournemouth a year to the day after he joined the Cherries from Liverpool. It was the final goal in a 4-0 thrashing of Luton Town, and while it sounds relatively meaningless, it will be a massive weight off the 22-year-old’s shoulders and could have implications that last the rest of the season. He had gone 30 matches for the Cherries without finding the back of the net, which must have felt like an eternity for a player who was once considered one of England’s brightest prospects.
When Solakne initially joined Eddie Howe’s side from Liverpool for £19m, he attracted interest from several Premier League clubs, indicating they must have seen his potential. He even has an England cap to his name, against Brazil in 2017, so, it is surprising he has gone so long without troubling opposition goalkeepers. But now that he has broken his duck for the Cherries Solanke must get his career back on track.
At 22-years-old he still has plenty of time to do just that, and his side is absolutely desperate for goals, with Callum Wilson also misfiring this season. The current England international has a meagre five for the campaign, so if there was ever an opportunity for Solanke to displace him, the time is now.
The next target has to be registering his first Premier League strike, and with a pleasant run of fixtures on the horizon that is highly achievable. The Cherries have the most critical month in their Premier League history ahead, and their next four games are against Watford, Norwich City, Brighton and Aston Villa, none of who are higher than 14th place.
With his first goal under his belt, Solanke has to play with freedom after the weight of expectation has been lifted slightly. The only way to ease the burden further is to propel the Cherries out of danger, clearly, he has shown in his outstanding youth career – winning the under 17 European Championship and Under 20 World Cup – that he has the talent to achieve it. Otherwise, Solanke’s career could be heading in a completely different trajectory to how it first appeared.
