by Dan Davis (@dan_davis20)
Nathan Ake has been named AFC Bournemouth’s Player of the Month for February.
The Dutch centre half’s impressive performances have helped fire the Cherries into a mid-table place, with fears of relegation further eased after the 1-1 draw at Leicester yesterday.
Ake played every minute of the Cherries’ games in February, when the Dorset side picked up four points out of a possible nine.
The 23-year-old fought off competition from Lewis Cook, Dan Gosling and Lys Mousset to pick up the award, having won all but two of the monthly accolade.
With 25 appearances in a Cherries’ shirt and two goals, Ake has firmly cemented himself as a fan favourite at Vitality Stadium after a £2o million move from reigning champions Chelsea this summer.
Another player up for an award this month is Adam Smith, who has been nominated for the Premier League’s Goal of the Month.
With Newcastle leading two-nil on the south coast, the full back thundered home an effort off the crossbar and sparked the Cherries’ comeback.
Smith is nominated alongside Mario Lemina, Jose Izquierdo, Danilo, Victor Wanyama, Mo Salah and Sergio Aguero.
Charlie Daniels previously won the award in August after his strike against Manchester City, and Jermain Defoe’s audacious lob at Selhurst Park saw the experienced striker honoured in December.
