Will this striker be pivotal to Bournemouth avoiding second season syndrome

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Rarely will a two-minute cameo have been so warmly received. The sight of Callum Wilson returning as a substitute against Aston Villa lifted the spirits of every AFC Bournemouth supporter. It had been more than six months since he last played a competitive football match, a 2-1 defeat to Stoke City back in September. On that fateful afternoon, Wilson ruptured the anterior cruciate knee ligament in his right knee. It was supposed to be a season-ending injury that spelled a cruel and premature end to his inaugural Premier League campaign.

The timing of his injury was dreadful. Wilson had been in blistering form with five goals from just seven starts including a memorable hat-trick against West Ham that sealed Bournemouth’s maiden top-flight victory. His stellar form had even attracted the attention of England manager Roy Hodgson, which made the prognosis of at least a six-month lay-off particularly frustrating. For Cherries boss Eddie Howe, who only weeks earlier had witnessed Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel both sustain similarly bad cruciate knee injuries, it was another monumental blow in his quest to ensure Bournemouth’s stay in the Premier League was not a brief one.

Football is a team game and no club exemplifies that mantra more than Bournemouth. But the bare statistics underline the importance of Wilson. Last season he scored 20 league goals to fire the club to Championship glory. Additionally, despite having missed the vast majority of the current campaign, with five goals to his name, the 24-year-old is still the club’s joint top-scorer. Last term, he was a menace to opposition defences and became an indispensable member of the side. Wilson’s pace, power and skill often made him unplayable. His composure in front of goal noticeably improved with time, as his 20 goals helped to fire the club to Championship glory.

Wilson’s ability to pull defenders out of position and create space for his team-mates has been sorely missed. In the wake of his unavailability, Howe experimented with a variety of attacking combinations but it was quickly apparent that replacing Wilson would be an unenviable challenge. The likes of Glenn Murray and Joshua King were asked to perform a role unnatural to them, which contributed to the team’s run of poor results last autumn. Wilson’s incredible work-rate had been a real hallmark of his game, in a defensive sense as much as an attacking one. Without him, a lack of movement up front had a knock-on effect through the side.

Benik Afobe, Lewis Grabban and King have all performed admirably in Wilson’s absence, with the latter in particular winning plaudits for his recent transformation. Nevertheless, it is indisputable that a fully fit Wilson brings a unique quality and offers Howe a different dimension in attack. It remains a real shame that Bournemouth have been robbed of his services for the majority of the season. Where would they be in the table had the injury curse that claimed, among others, Wilson, Gradel and Mings not struck?

With Premier League safety all but mathematically assured, there is no need for Howe to rush back his star man. But the final few matches of the run-in will allow Cherries supporters a tantalising glimpse into what could be in store next term, provided the club can keep hold of their linchpin striker. Throughout his rehabilitation, Wilson repeatedly said he was targeting the final six games for his comeback. His determination should never have been questioned. He didn’t want the image of being stretchered off against Stoke to define his season. It won’t. Now, what fans will remember is that boyish, wide-eyed grin when he came on in stoppage-time against Aston Villa. The sheer joy on his face has made his painstaking recovery worthwhile.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Ian Johnson.