Southend United midfielder Jack Bridge training with Bournemouth

The 21-year-old, who has made seven appearances for the Shrimpers so far this season, is to spend the next few days with the Cherries.

And Shrimpers boss Phil Brown has been told Bournemouth are interested in signing the former Eastwood Academy pupil.

“Jack’s agent has told us that he’s better than what we have in the team at the moment and that Bournemouth are interested in signing him so he’s going to be spending the next few days with them,” said Brown.

“Weather permitting he’s going to be playing in an under 21 game for them and we’re told they were alerted to him during one of the loan spells he had with Chelmsford.

“His agent has told us that he should be playing for us and that he’s not close enough to the first team which I find strange considering he’s been on the bench for our last five games.

“It might be a rude awakening for Jack going there or maybe Bournemouth will see something I don’t, I’m not sure.

“But that’s the situation at the moment.”

Bridge - who came through the youth system at Roots Hall - has enjoyed two loan spells in the National League South with Chelmsford.

The attacking midfielder made nine appearances in 2015 before returning the following year and scoring seven goals in 14 games.

Bournemouth’s under 21 team is managed by their former defender Stephen Purches who is originally from Essex and regularly keeps tabs on the county’s non league teams.

Bridge is not the first Blues youngster to spend time training with a Premier League club as goalkeeper Ted Smith attended sessions at Tottenham Hotspur when he was coming through the ranks at Roots Hall.

Former Shrimpers shot-stopper Daniel Bentley, who now plays in the Championship for Brentford, trained with Stoke City while at Southend and current under 18 goalkeeper Nathan Bishop is also understood to have trained at Tottenham Hotspur this season alongside Hugo Lloris.