Harry Cornick has hailed the impact Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe had on his career but is hoping to show his former boss and hometown team how much he’s improved since they let him go.
The forward joined the Hatters in 2017 and despite largely featuring as an impact player, helped them to two back-to-back promotions.
Now, in the Championship, the 24-year-old has established himself as a first team starter and has scored six times in his 28 appearances, where scored eight last term.
He did once, in 2015, make a substitute’s cameo in a 5-1 Cherries victory at the same stage of the famous old knockout competition and he said: “When I grew up it was my dream to play for them. It didn’t quite work out, but I’m grateful for the opportunity here and hopefully we can turn them over when we go down there.
“I loved my time there and I have a lot to thank for Bournemouth as a club for bringing me through and giving me the chance to show what I can do. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here now.
“All my family and friends live in Bournemouth, so I need quite a few tickets to get everyone in. It’s going to be great for people to watch me play at Bournemouth and hopefully I can show them what I can do. It’s a chance to show, not what they’ve missed out on, but show how much I’ve improved since I left there and how much of a player I’ve become.
“Hopefully I can score down there and maybe get a result.”
Talking about Cornick returning to former club, Luton boss Graeme Jones said: “I’m sure he is (looking forward to it). Harry’s dipped a little bit lately, but he’s done really well over the course of the season.
“He didn’t start at Millwall, so I’m sure he’s got energy and a point to prove. He goes back (to Bournemouth) as quite an established Championship footballer, which is something he should be proud of.”
Cherries chief Howe was at the helm to hand Cornick his only Bournemouth appearance and on the manager, the Hatters forward said: “For me, he was brilliant. He worked hard every day and, tactically, he was spot on really. Every day at training he was the last one to come in and was always getting players to do extras in training. He was doing them with them.
“He was always in the finishing drills and doing crossing competitions with the lads and, for me, he was brilliant because he had me improve and gave me my chance.
“I’m grateful for what he’s done for me.”
Howe is perennially linked with top-flight managerial vacancies and though he left the Cherries for Burnley, he returned to then League One Bournemouth after almost two years away, guiding them to the Premier League in 2016.
Cornick said: “I think he could’ve gone to a few bigger clubs if he wanted to, but he stayed loyal to Bournemouth and you’ve got to give credit to that because he’s taken them from League Two to the Premier League, which I don’t think they ever thought they would do.
“His journey’s been brilliant, along with the club’s. It’s a great club, he’s a great manager and I’m sure, one day, he’ll go on to a bigger club or wherever he wants.”
