YOUNG football star Archie Harris has landed a two-year contract with AFC Bournemouth after impressing on an initial 12-month deal with the Premier League club.

The deal is a rich reward for the youngster, who has been courted by The Cherries for some time.

Harris, 12, attends Budmouth College and is the son of former Weymouth caretaker-manager Andy Harris, who in 2015 scored a famous equalising goal for The Terras against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup first round.

Archie has continued where his father left off but his mother Gill revealed to Echosport that Andy has carefully managed his son’s progress through the youth ranks.

She said: “He’s always been coached by his Dad to keep him away from the academies a little bit too early, it can knock (kids’) confidence a little bit.

“He coached him at Weymouth Cougars since he was about five and he got asked to go to a trial at Dorchester which was affiliated with Bournemouth.

“He was up there three weeks and in those three weeks he got moved up three age groups so he was obviously doing quite well.”

Most recently, left wing-back Archie has been put through his paces at Bournemouth against older children.

“He was playing against under-16s last year. In 2016, he had a six-week trial and after four they told us they were keeping him on. They offered him a year.

“This year is quite an important year, they have offered him a two-year contract.

“He’s coming out of school and training Tuesday night, Wednesday night, all day Thursday on day release and then alternate Saturdays, then playing on a Sunday,” Gill said.

In an intense schedule, Archie has recently returned from a trip to the Netherlands with the Premier League outfit, where he was up against some of the best clubs in the country.

“He’s just been to Holland. They had a tour and he played against PSV Eindhoven, they beat them 5-4,” Gill added.

Archie and his father are not the only footballing success stories in the family, with elder sister Charlotte also influenced by Andy, who began his career at Liverpool before winning league titles with Chester City and Weymouth.

Gill said: “Charlotte plays for south west England and she’s played football for Dorset County Girls since she was eight.

“They have watched football since the day they were born. They were able to take a ball and just play at Andy’s games. We’re a bit of a sporty family!”