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When Dominic Solanke was awarded the Golden Ball in England's stunning victory at the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2017, it would be fair to say he had the football world at his feet. He enjoyed an outstanding tournament, scoring four goals, including the solo winner in the quarterfinal against Mexico, and two in the 3-1 semifinal win over Italy.
His performances confirmed a meteoric rise that had seen him win the UEFA European U17 championships in 2014. He also won two FA Youth Cups and a UEFA Youth League with Chelsea, marking him out as one of the most promising young strikers in European and world football.
Despite a reasonably successful loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem in the 2015-16 season, scoring seven goals and giving one assist in 26 appearances, like many young players at Chelsea, Dominic Solanke found first-team opportunities hard to come by. He eventually left the club after just one senior appearance, signing for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on a free transfer.
Dominic Solanke moves to Liverpool
The transfer resulted in more first team minutes for Dominic Solanke in the 2017-18 season. He made 27 appearances in all competitions and picked up a runners-up medal in the UEFA Champions League. He only scored one goal, and that was on the final day of the Premier League season in a 4-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.
After an injury hit start to the following campaign, he joined Eddie Howe's Bournemouth in January 2019 for a reported fee of £19 million.
Early struggles at Bournemouth
Still struggling to shake off injuries that had dogged his time at Liverpool, Dominic Solanke made a poor start to life at Bournemouth. In 10 appearances, totalling just 341 minutes of action, he failed to get off the mark.
Things didn't get much better the following season as Dominic Solanke found the back of the net just four times in 36 matches as Bouremouth. The Cherries were relegated from the Premier League after a five-year spell in the English top flight.
Suffering relegation would have been devastating for Dominic Solanke. His lack of goals was cited as one of the key factors in the club's failure to beat the drop and it undoubtedly represented a turning point in his career.
Playing in the EFL Championship for the first time, Solanke thrived. He got regular minutes under his belt, playing 45 matches in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and giving 11 assists, averaging a goal involvement every 139 minutes. Despite his rapid improvement, Bournemouth missed out on promotion back to the Premier League after losing in the play-off semi-finals to Brentford.
Rejuventation and Premier League return
Dominic Solanke was about to have the best season of his football career. Under the management of Scott Parker, he was nothing short of outstanding in the 2021-22 season as Bournemouth secured promotion back to the Premier League. Solanke would play 48 times in all competitions, scoring 30 goals and giving seven assists. He was subsequently named in the PFA Team of the Year and the EFL Championship Team of the Season.
So after two seasons away from the top division of English football, Dominic Solanke would once again be given the opportunity to test himself at the highest level. This time, however, he had a great deal more experience under his belt. After a challenging start to the season which resulted in the sacking of Scott Parker as manager, he played an absolutely vital role in Bournemouth's successful battle against relegation, under Gary O'Neill.
Solanke made 33 Premier League appearances, scoring six goals which were absolutely vital in Bournemouth's successful fight against relegation. He also continued to emphasise the improvement in his all-round game by adding a further seven assists.
The Englishman has carried that form in to the 2023-24 season. While Bournemouth remain winless in the Premier League after a difficult start to the season, he already has four goals and one assist to his name. He added another goal in the Carabao Cup.
Contracted to Bournemouth until the summer of 2027, Dominic Solanke is firmly committed to the club where he has been able to rebuild his career. However, should he continue to impress and Bournemouth continue to struggle it won't be too long before he starts to attract the attention of clubs higher up the Premier League table.
