AFC Bournemouth are riding a wave of momentum and James Hill is right at the heart of it.
The Cherries named Hill their Man of the Match after the 2–1 comeback win over Everton on February 10, 2026 as confirmed by Bournemouth via their official x handle .
Another colossal display from Hilly
The 22-year-old defender was everywhere: he set up Amine Adli’s winning goal in the 64th minute and put in a series of goal-saving blocks to earn a match-high rating of 8. It was another big performance in what’s becoming a breakout season for Hill.
Manager Andoni Iraola hasn’t hidden how highly he rates the defender. He recently called Hill a “coach’s dream,” praising the way he’s worked his way up from fifth choice centre-back to a regular starter.
Iraola also pointed to Hill’s versatility, trusting him to play at centre-back, right-back, and even as a holding midfielder when needed.
According to the Bournemouth boss, Hill has “earned everything” through his attitude in training and how he delivered when minutes were hard to come by earlier in the season.
Softfootball reports that Hill’s rise has been a major factor behind Bournemouth’s climb to 9th in the Premier League, with the club now daring to dream about a push for European qualification.
His consistency at the back and growing influence in attack three assists already this season have added balance to Iraola’s side.
Bournemouth’s form has also had a ripple effect elsewhere. Liverpool fans are still reeling from their dramatic 3–2 defeat at the Vitality Stadium in January, when Adli struck late to hand the champions another damaging loss.
For the Cherries, that night and wins like the one over Everton have underlined their new belief: they’re no longer just competing with the big teams, they’re beating them.
With Hill in this kind of form, Bournemouth’s push up the table suddenly looks very real.
