An emotional Eddie Howe has spoken about his "pain" after his Bournemouth side were relegated from the Premier League.
The Cherries' 3-1 win at Everton wasn't enough to see them avoid the drop, as Aston Villa picked up a point on the road at West Ham.
Howe's south coast side have enjoyed a five-year stint in English football's top-tier, but they will be playing Championship football next season.
Bournemouth finished 18th, just inside the drop zone, having finished in 14th last season. Howe told Sky Sports after today's game that relegation was tough for him to fathom.
"There's been so many great moments within the five years. We really attacked the Premier League and gave it our best shot.
A win on Merseyside, but results elsewhere mean we're relegated from the Premier League. #EVEBOU // #afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/anvyeH6tm4
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 26, 2020
"It was an incredible ride and an incredible journey, and I include our supporters in that. I feel we were an inspiration for a lot of the clubs from the lower leagues, which is why it's so disappointing to come to this end.
"I couldn't have asked for any more from my players today. We started on the front foot and it was a very committed performance. We showed a lot of quality at different times. In the second half, Everton came into the game a little bit more and we withstood their pressure.
"I think we showed that when we're on form, we're a very good team today. The emotions are just a lot of pain. I feel very emotional, and I'm trying to keep it together. I feel really sad for the supporters of this club.
"They haven't been here with us for the last part of the journey which has made it even harder. It's a time for reflection and it's a time to see what the next step is.
"I feel very emotional and very disappointed. I feel sad and dejected and I have difficult emotions to feel. I'm very sad for our supporters this evening as they can't be here to share this moment with us.
"With hindsight, there's loads of things you would've done again. Our early performances post lockdown weren't good enough. There are games there that had we performed better then things would've been very different so there's certainly loads to reflect on."
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