Harry Wilson of Bournemouth during the Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester. Picture date: 31st August 2019. Picture credit should read: Harry Marshall/Sportimage via PA Images

Bournemouth fan’s ode to Harry Wilson praises Liverpool loanee for “fabulous” season

Harry Wilson may not stay at Liverpool beyond the end of 2019/20, but a Bournemouth fan’s ode to the “fabulous” Welsh winger makes for encouraging reading.

The 23-year-old went into his first season in the Premier League last summer after a breakthrough spell with Derby in the Championship last term.

Having scored 18 goals and laid on six assists in 50 games in the Rams’ near-miss campaign under Frank Lampard, he has now netted six and laid on two in 27 outings for the Cherries.

He is Bournemouth‘s second-top scorer behind namesake Callum Wilson (nine), but is averaging a similar rate in terms of minutes per goal, while only Diego Rico (three) and Ryan Fraser (four) have registered more assists.

Though there have been suggestions he does not influence the game on the whole as much as he should, it has been a standout campaign for Wilson.

And in a post on Cherry Chimes, a Bournemouth supporter has paid tribute to his efforts throughout the season, insisting he has “more than justified his loan move,” with fans “very thankful.”

“It is not just his goals that have been a tonic,” the fan continues, hailing his fitness as a “lifeline” throughout a campaign in which Bournemouth have been ravaged by injuries.

Bournemouth's Harry Wilson scores his side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday August 17, 2019. See PA story SOCCER Villa. Photo credit should read: Tim Goode/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

They add that Wilson “has more than lived up to top billing” and been “excellent at taking on the best defenders,” serving as an able stand-in for David Brooks.

“If Klopp decides to sell him, Liverpool will surely get a good fee,” they explain.

“But I wonder if Wilson would become a better player even quicker if he did stay at Liverpool and worked with some of the very best players in the world.”

It is likely that the Wales international will move on at the end of the season, with The Athletic’s James Pearce speculating that he could raise at least £20 million for Liverpool.

Bournemouth could well return as permanent suitors, though this would be contingent on them retaining their Premier League status, with the Cherries currently sitting 18th with nine games to play.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - Wednesday, July 31, 2019: Liverpool's Harry Wilson during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Olympique Lyonnais at Stade de Genève. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

They are level on points with both Watford in 17th and West Ham in 16th, however, and just two behind 15th-placed Brighton, and Wilson’s potential role in keeping them up is held up as “no bad thing to have on your CV.”

It is warming to hear a Liverpool loanee has developed such an affinity with the supporters of his loan club, and it shows that he has made the impact hoped for when he made the move last August.

Jurgen Klopp could face a big decision regarding Wilson’s future in the next transfer window, with the Reds’ No. 59 potentially serving as a useful squad option on Merseyside.

With Xherdan Shaqiri expected to leave, he could offer a like-for-like alternative to the stricken Swiss.