Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe says he is ‘excited’ by Ryan Fraser’s development on loan at Ipswich Town and the prospect of him returning to the Vitality Stadium.

After helping the Cherries win promotion to the Premier League (six starts, 15 substitute appearances), Fraser was sent on a season-long loan to Town and he has been the top-six seeking Blues’ star player this season.

The flying winger, who joined Bournemouth in a £400k deal from Aberdeen in January 2013, has scored six times in 21 games and been a constant menace to defences with his pace, direct-running and rapidly improving end product.

It’s a loan deal which has undoubtedly worked well for both parties, with Bournemouth handing Fraser an improved three-year deal last August.

“I am really pleased for him,” Howe told the Bournemouth Daily Echo. “I felt it was just what he needed to get games, to become hardened to playing every week and to be exposed to the league

“I didn’t feel we could guarantee him that and it would have been no good him playing bit-parts from the bench for us for 10 to 15 games.

“We felt this move would be really beneficial for his development at a good club with a good manager. We have been very pleased with his progress and we keep very close tabs on him.”

Fraser trained with Howe’s squad as he regained his fitness after suffering a knee injury while on international duty with Scotland under-21s earlier this season. He spent 12 weeks on the sidelines.

Howe added: “It was good to see how he had progressed as a player and we are very excited to see him next season.

“We gave him a long-term contract and we believe in him. This loan was only about him being ready for us in a future date.”

Fraser is now set for another spell on the sidelines after suffering a nasty-looking hamstring injury towards the end of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at QPR.