Bournemouth seal Elliott Ward deal

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has revealed that he is delighted to secure the signing of former Norwich City defender Elliott Ward.

Ward has moved to Bournemouth after he was released by the Premier League side, and Howe has insisted that the 28-year-old "ticks all the boxes" for the newly-promoted Championship outfit.

The 35-year-old told the club's official website: "We believe in him as a player and a person. He ticks all the boxes for us. He is a really good athlete, he's excellent in both boxes and he's a real physical presence.

"Not only that, but he is also technically an excellent footballer, which fits in with our philosophy and how we want to play out from the back and how we want our defence to be able to handle the ball.

"He is a leader as well, he's experienced and he knows the division, so for all those aspects, I think he's a really important signing for us."

The former West Ham United centre-back made 19 appearances during a loan spell at Nottingham Forest last season.