'A tough start' - Bournemouth's Steve Cook reacts to opening day fixture vs Sheffield United

In recent years, the Cherries have established themselves as Premier League stalwarts, and are about to embark on their fifth consecutive top tier campaign.

Discussing Bournemouth’s opening day fixture against the Blades, via the Cherries’ official website, Bournemouth defender Steve Cook gave his verdict on the upcoming clash, and said: “Sheffield United will be a tough start for us.”

Discussing the other promoted sides, the 28-year-old said: “We won at Villa Park to secure our status in our first season in the Premier League, so obviously I'm looking forward to going back there so soon. Then I scored my first goal in the competition against Norwich at Carrow Road (in 2015), even though we lost the game.

“The three clubs coming up all have huge fan-bases so it will be terrific to play at their grounds. You couldn’t have asked for three bigger clubs to get promoted from the Championship. They will bring extra quality to the league because they all play very good football.”

United’s game against the Cherries promises to be a captivating start to the season, with both sides renowned for their determination to play attractive football. However, Blades fans will need to be quick off the mark to grab tickets for the match, as the Vitality Stadium have an away capacity of just 1500.

The game will also see former Blades starlet David Brooks face his old side for the first time since leaving Bramall Lane last July, and he’ll be sure to recieve a warm reception from the travelling support.