AFC Bournemouth have exercised the decision to recall goalkeeper Mark Travers from Stoke City under ‘exceptional circumstances’.
Signed on a season-long loan in the summer, Travers has relished in the opportunity to gain vital minutes. Since his arrival, the three-time capped Irish international nailed down the number one spot in Alex Neil’s side.
Starting all 13 Championship games, Travers kept two clean sheets and performed remarkably against the likes of Sunderland and Ipswich Town. In this time he accumulated 47 saves and conceded 18 goals, totalling a save percentage of 72.3%, ranking sixth highest in the league.
Standing at 6’3 inches tall, he was a key figure in helping the Cherries secure promotion back to the Premier League during the 2021/2022 season. With Neto, Ionut Radu and Darren Randolph ahead of him in the pecking order, it was completely understandable that a Championship move materialised in the summer.
A statement released by the club said;
“The Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper returns to the south coast after the Cherries had their application to recall due to exceptional circumstances approved by the Premier League, following injuries to two of their registered goalkeepers.
“Firstly, we would like to thank Mark for his contribution during his time as a Stoke City player, during which his performances have shown his Premier League calibre,” explained Technical Director Ricky Martin.
“There is always potential risk of this outcome in the most exceptional circumstances and, while unfortunate, we knew that should this situation arise we would have an experienced option to call upon in Jack Bonham.”
Mark Travers has returned to parent club AFC Bournemouth.
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) October 27, 2023
The Cherries had their application to recall due to exceptional circumstances approved earlier today.
The Midlands based side travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday which will see Jack Bonham return to the sticks as first-choice. The 30-year-old featured 23 times for the Potters in the previous campaign.
Writers View
After the news of Neto’s injury for Bournemouth, it is certainly a strange situation the Cherries and Stoke have found themselves in. As a result, it has led to the immediate departure of the impressive goalkeeper. However, this scenario would have been accounted for and therefore a contingency plan will be set into place.
It’s certainly a blow for the Potters though, especially after their recent back-to-back wins over Sunderland and Leeds United.
