Mark-Travers-Player

#PLStories- Asmir Begovic on Mark Travers losing place to Neto #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan July 2, 2023

Travers enjoyed a stellar campaign in 2021-22, scooping a host of individual awards for his efforts in helping Cherries clinch promotion to the Championship. He then started last season as Cherries’ first choice, before Gary O’Neil took the reins and instantly took him out of the side, bringing in experienced new signing Neto in his place. The Brazilian would go on to become club captain, restricting Travers to just 15 club appearances in all competitions last season. Speaking to the Daily Echo following the final-day loss at Everton, where Travers featured for the first time in more than four months, the Irishman admitted it had been a "very tough" season personally adding: “I know I want to play every week and at my age, I don’t want to be not playing.” Prior to his spell as first choice in 2021-22, Travers played second fiddle to Begovic, before the Bosnian departed to join Everton. Discussing Travers losing his place last season, Begovic told BBC Radio Solent: “First and foremost, Neto has been fantastic. “Obviously a top-level goalkeeper, who has played at the highest level for many, many years. “Of course for Trav it’s an experience, it’s part of development. “There’s going to be ups and downs in football, there’s no doubt about it. It’s never smooth sailing, that’s for sure. “He’s maybe dealing with a bit of a different experience now after having the games over the year previous to that. “I’m sure he’ll take stock in the summer and see what he wants to do and I’m sure the club will as well. “They’ve got a fantastic goalkeeper coach in Neil Moss and his staff. So they’ll all put a plan together for his development and make sure he keeps going in the right direction. “But it’s part of a goalkeeper’s life and a professional footballer’s life. There’s ups and downs and you have to take them all in your stride, deal with them in the best way possible.” Travers was dropped by O’Neil following the 9-0 humiliation against Liverpool in the fourth league game of the season. Reflecting on that decision to leave Travers out for the next game against Wolves, before he was sacked and replaced by Andoni Iraola last week, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “Conceding nine as a goalkeeper, he was not at fault for too many. But then to be taken out after that and it’s not the season he would have wanted, I’m sure. “But he’s trained with real professionalism. I’ve had a real comfort in the fact I know Trav can come in if he’s needed, because of the way he works and the way he is around the group. “A difficult day for me as well that day (at Anfield). “As an interim head coach to have a day and a half to prepare for Wolves and have to make a call on last year’s player of the season and the number one goalie, to take him out wasn’t an easy conversation for me to have with Trav, who I obviously have a fantastic relationship with. “I’m extremely grateful to Trav. “Whether he feels like he had a big impact on the season or not, because he hasn’t played much, but his impact around the group and the way he’s held himself and behaved since that disappointment definitely helped the group manage to get over the line.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Mark Travers wants more game-time after losing AFC Bournemouth spot #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan June 10, 2023

Goalkeeper Travers enjoyed a memorable 2021-22 campaign, winning a host of individual awards, including the Daily Echo/Micky Cave player of the year, after playing a key role in the club clinching promotion from the Championship. That form saw him rewarded with a new five-year contract last summer, and he began 2022-23 as the club’s first-choice stopper. However, after keeping a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa on the opening day, Travers was powerless to prevent Cherries shipping 16 goals across the next three fixtures, including the 9-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield. Scott Parker then left the club, with one of the first acts of Gary O’Neil as interim boss being to drop Travers to the bench and install the experienced Neto between the sticks. The Brazilian started eight games on the spin, before Travers got another chance due to an injury to Neto. However, when he returned to fitness, Neto took the gloves again, before going on to be named as the new club captain, with Travers not featuring between January and the final game of the season at Everton. Republic of Ireland international Travers impressed at Goodison Park, stepping in at late notice after Neto returned to Brazil following a family bereavement. Reflecting on his season on a personal level, having made 15 appearances, the 24-year-old told the Daily Echo: “It’s very tough. You want to be playing every week. “Getting that buzz again (at Everton) was great and you want to replicate that every week. “But it’s been a massive learning curve, I suppose. A difficult time, the first time sitting on the bench. “I’ve been third choice, played last year and then second choice this year. “It’s been tough coming in and out, but hopefully I can build on it and go again next year.” Asked if there is a decision to be made over the summer regarding his future, and whether he may need to go elsewhere for more game-time, Travers said: “I don’t know, it’s obviously up to the club. “But I know I want to play every week and at my age, I don’t want to be not playing. “It’s up to them. We’ll see what happens in pre-season and whatever happens, happens. “But I’ll come back to Bournemouth fighting, giving 100 per cent and then whatever the decision is, it is.” Asked last month if there was an argument Travers could do with a loan move next season, boss Gary O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “We haven’t gone into that yet. There’s a lot of thinking and decisions that will need to be made around a lot of players. “No decisions made yet on ins and outs and loans and who needs what. “As soon as the season is done, we can start to put some real clear focus into the detail of what’s best for everybody and, firstly, the football club.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Goalkeeper Mark Travers reveals Gary O’Neil ‘took everything in his stride with management’ #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 30, 2022

GOALKEEPER Mark Travers has shared how Gary O’Neil has taken “everything in his stride with management”. Cherries’ hunt for a permanent manager following Scott Parker’s sacking in August ended on Sunday, when the decision to install caretaker boss O’Neil on a permanent basis was made. In 12 games in charge of Cherries, O’Neil has steered the club to 13 points from 11 Premier League games, as well as securing safe passage through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with victory over Everton. Clearly popular with the squad at Cherries, O’Neil’s first steps into management were to pick up a side still reeling from a 9-0 loss away at Anfield. During O’Neil’s brief reign so far there have been mixed results, Cherries starting with a six-game unbeaten streak before falling to four straight losses, including two games where the Dorset club threw away two-goal leads to lose 3-2 and 4-3 to Tottenham and Leeds respectively. However, Cherries again rallied, ending the first half of the season with a pair of victories over Everton. Recently reinstalled to the starting XI after O’Neil’s first choice ‘keeper, Neto, was sidelined with a hamstring injury, Travers believes his side were unlucky not to have more points after 15 games played. Following their last game, a 3-0 victory over Everton, the Irishman told the Daily Echo: “He’s been brilliant, really, since he’s come in. “I think it’s been 12 games now. He’s done really well. We’ve played some unbelievable football. “We’ve been unlucky not to get more points, the last 60 minutes against Leeds and Tottenham. “I thought we were excellent and played really good football, it was just us at the back trying to tidy things up and I thought we did that (against Everton). “He’s been really good with all the lads and really took everything in his stride with management. I thought he got us playing really good football and some really good results as well. “I think to bounce back after the start of the season and the results we had was great credit to the lads. “We know it’s going to be a tough league and we know how tight it is. One win can push you up a few places or a couple of defeats and you’re back down there again. “So we’ve got to remain level-headed and we know there’s a long way to go in this season. Cherries fly out to Dubai tomorrow for a warm weather training camp, where they will also face Belgian top-flight outfit Royal Antwerp in a friendly on Sunday, December 4.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Mark Travers ‘buzzing’ for Chris Mepham display at World Cup after ‘tough’ Cherries spell #AFCB #Worldcup2022

By Kanak Chauhan November 25, 2022

MARK Travers is “buzzing” to see Chris Mepham get a chance to showcase his talents on the world stage, after a “tough” spell out of the Cherries side. While Travers was playing week in, week out as Cherries clinched promotion from the Championship last season, Mepham was often forced to watch on and play a bit-part role. Having been sent off for a costly error in the play-offs the previous season, Mepham began the following campaign in the starting XI under new boss Scott Parker. But he slowly drifted out of the side, utilised as a late substitute to see out games, as Gary Cahill and Lloyd Kelly forged a strong centre-back partnership, before the arrival of Nat Phillips. Mepham made 22 league appearances last season, playing just over 1,000 minutes. He has already eclipsed that tally in his 14 Premier League outings this term. After Phillips and Cahill departed the club and Kelly picked up an injury, it gave the 25-year-old a run in the team. The former Brentford man’s future at the club looked uncertain as he entered the final year of his contract, but his early season form was rewarded with a new deal to extend his stay until 2025. Now, Mepham is in Qatar, competing in the World Cup with Wales. He played the full 90 minutes of Monday’s 1-1 draw with USA and will be hoping to keep his spot for Friday’s crunch clash against Iran (10am). “Massive credit to Meps,” goalkeeper Travers told the Daily Echo. “He has come in this year and been a massive, massive player for us in the centre of defence. “He’s been class. It was obviously tough, he didn’t play much last season, but it just shows you the type of person he is to come in this season and claim his spot in the team and do brilliantly. “So I’m buzzing for the two lads away with Wales. “I’ll be rooting for them, because it will be a tough group but I think they’ll do really well and they’re excited for it.” Travers himself has been on the international stage, making three senior appearances for Republic of Ireland. They failed to qualify for Qatar, finishing third in their group behind Serbia and Portugal. “It would’ve been nice to get to a World Cup, obviously, but hopefully in the future that can happen,” said Travers. “But of course I’m rooting for all the lads really. “We work day in, day out together. “It’s a dream for them (Mepham and Kieffer Moore) to go to a World Cup, so of course you want to see them do well and win games. “It’s really exciting for them.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Bournemouth player Mark Travers ‘ready for every opportunity’ after coming off the bench against West Ham #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan October 27, 2022

MARK Travers revealed how coming off the bench was a different experience in his footballing career, with the young goalie sharing: “It was a new one, to be honest”. Irish international Travers came off the bench during Cherries’ 2-0 defeat away at West Ham on Monday, after Gary O’Neil’s current first-choice, Neto, was unable to continue due to injury. Whilst the exact issue the Brazilian is suffering with has yet to be confirmed, he first went down with discomfort after a routine clearance. Although the former Barcelona man saw out the rest of the first half, it was decided at the break a change had to be made. After having to watch on from the sidelines for the past seven games, Travers was brought on, the Irishman conceding late on to a Said Benrahma penalty. Travers told the Daily Echo: “I think just looking from the kick, it looked like he felt something from the kick so from that moment just tried to stay aware, and ready. “Then I saw him say he'll go to half time and see what happens from there. “So it gave me some time to get ready at half time, which is all good. “It was a new one, to be honest. I've never really experienced that before. “Every game, trying to be ready as best I can. You never want an injury for another goalkeeper. I hope Neto recovers well. “We'll just have to see what happens over the next few days.” After establishing himself as first-choice under Scott Parker during Cherries’ promotion to the Championship, the 23-year-old appeared to be set for another season as number one at the Vitality Stadium, signing a new five-year deal over the summer. However, since O’Neil was installed as interim boss, the more experience Neto has started every Premier League fixture. Reflecting on coming out of the side, the Cherries academy graduate shared: “I think when you're playing every week last year and then coming out, it's always frustrating for any player really. “I just tried to do my best every day for the team and in training, work hard and get my head down. “Wait for the next opportunity, so that's all I try to do. “That's his (O’Neil’s) decision that was made after the game, but I'm always ready to play and I'm happy to go on to the pitch and compete for this club, which is always what I want to do. “I train every day, working. I know coming out of the team, I’ve got to work on things, to improve on in training. “This way I’ll be ready for every opportunity that comes.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PSLtories- Gary O’Neil believes Mark Travers understood decision to be left out and Ryan Christie forgets Manchester City defeat #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan September 3, 2022

INTERIM boss Gary O'Neil says Mark Travers has "responded well" to the disappointment of being dropped for Wednesday night's clash with Wolves, adding how he "understood" the decision. Having played second fiddle to the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Asmir Begovic earlier in his Cherries career, goalkeeper Travers got his big break under Scott Parker last season. The young Irishman played in all-but one of Cherries' 46 Championship fixtures, and was named as the club's player of the season after helping them clinch promotion to the Premier League. Travers also won a host of other awards, including the Daily Echo/Micky Cave trophy, and the Championship's golden glove having kept the most clean sheets (20) in the division. The 23-year-old was then rewarded with a new five-year contract over the summer, also taking the number one shirt for the first time. He got off to the perfect start, with a clean sheet in victory over Aston Villa on the opening day this campaign. But Travers was then part of the side which conceded 16 goals in the next three Premier League fixtures, including Parker's final game in charge, the 9-0 humiliation at Liverpool last weekend. That proved to be the end of Travers's consecutive run of starts, as one of four players dropped to the bench for O'Neil's first match as interim head coach in midweek. While a lot of the blame in recent weeks could not be solely attributed to Republic of Ireland international Travers, O'Neil decided it was time to take the Maynooth-born ace out the firing line. Experienced Brazilian Neto took the place of Travers, keeping a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw. Asked how being the goalkeeper for such a heavy defeat had affected Travers, O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "After the 9-0, he was fine. I mean, it hits everyone losing 9-0, of course. "But Trav no more than anybody else. I think everybody suffered in that moment at Anfield. "He has responded well, training-wise. Obviously being left out is disappointing to every player. "A goalkeeper always feels a little bit different because there is only one place to fight for. "But he understood that I felt it was best for him and mainly the group. My main concern is the group. "I felt it was best for the group at that time and that’s what my decisions will always be based upon." Neto looks likely to keep his spot when Cherries head to Nottingham Forest for their next top-flight encounter tomorrow (3pm). Discussing the former Barcelona man's Premier League debut against Wolves, O'Neil said: "He handled it well. He had some big moments in the game, he handled them well. "Same as a lot of the players really, especially the defenders handled some big moments well. "It’s nice when you feel that things do need shoring up a bit, to have some experienced boys around."

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook and Mark Travers admit motivated by Aaron Ramsdale and his rise at Arsenal #AFCB #ArsenalFC

By Kanak Chauhan August 20, 2022

CHERRIES talent Lewis Cook believes victory on the opening day of the season was “massive” for the side, as their tough run of fixtures continue against Arsenal this Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm). Arsenal’s visit to Dorset is sandwiched between away trips to the Etihad and Anfield to face Manchester City and Liverpool, two sides firmly cemented as England’s two best teams in recent years. The Gunners are no mugs themselves, with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners one of only two teams in the Premier League to have won both of their opening fixtures, with Cherries’ last opponents, City, the other side with an intact 100 per cent record. Cook played the full 90 minutes in Cherries’ single previous win over the London side, a 2-1 victory at the Vitality Stadium in January 2018. Reflecting on heading into the Arsenal fixture with three points already on the board, Cook told the Daily Echo: “Obviously you want to be on the pitch and enjoying your football but I think the first game season was massive for us. “We know the tests coming up in the next three games so we've got a good three points. “Tough game (against City), like we knew it was going to be but, like I say, we have Arsenal at home and we give it our best shot. “Definitely another top team. It's going to be a test for us but like I said, we want to play against the best teams and give it our best shot. “So looking forward to the game and hopefully getting three points.” Cook also revealed that he was looking forward to crossing paths with Aaron Ramsdale again. The pair featured in 26 Premier League games for Cherries, whilst also playing together for England’s under-21s against Qatar in 2018. He mentioned: “Yeah, definitely (looking forward to seeing Ramsdale). “He's a top guy, top ‘keeper as well. So looking forward to the game and hopefully we can put it right there.”