Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe believes his players' desire to play for their national teams at the 2018 World Cup spurs them on to impress at the club level. Bournemouth strikers Jermain Defoe and Callum Wilson, midfielder Lewis Cook and winger Jordon Ibe are all expected to fight to earn an England call-up for Gareth Southgate's side. Several other Bournemouth players, including Australians Brad Smith and Adam Federici, are also in contention to play in Russia with their national squads and Howe believes this will have a positive impact on their domestic performances. "A lot of the boys will dream of playing for their countries. It will be a great motivation for them and probably something they always wanted to do from a very young age," Howe told the Daily Echo. "I think that motivation is really important for them. I would only try to harness that and try to make their dreams happen. "The problem for me is you lose the control of the player for a period of time but there are benefits to be had from the international scene." Bournemouth are 10th in the league and host Newcastle United on Saturday. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
