Could former Southampton midfielder Andrew Surman be set for a return to St Mary's with Bournemouth?

Just a few years after the two south coast clubs clashed in the third division, Saints could well be playing Cherries in the top flight in 2015/16.

Surman has been a regular as Eddie Howe aims to complete a near miraculous journey from the depths of the fourth tier to the Premier League in six glorious years.

The midfielder completed the 90 minutes on Tuesday as Cherries’ 1-0 win at Reading kept them top of the Championship with just three games left.

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Victories at home to Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton, plus a last-day win at Charlton, will catapult Cherries – who only just avoided relegation to non league football in 2009 - into the richest football league in the world.

Surman hasn’t made a playing return to St Mary’s since his departure in the summer of 2009 prior to the Markus Liebherr takeover.

Now 28, he admits he would relish a return with Bournemouth in the Premier League.

“Of course I would, yeah, I mean that would be incredible,” he said, “But I always worry about talking about things that haven’t happened yet.

“If we get promoted then obviously I’d relish that, but until it happens it’s difficult to talk about it really.”

Surman, who has made 37 starts and one sub appearance in Cherries’ 43 league games so far in 2014/15, added: “I haven’t been back [to St Mary’s] since I left.

“There was one opportunity when I was at Norwich but I was injured, so that was a shame.

“Obviously I’d love to go back there.

“I have some great memories there, had a great time, and obviously it’s the club that brought me through.

“I have nothing but admiration for the club.”

There are two other players currently in the Cherries first team squad with big Saints connections.

Kenwyne Jones is among the ex-Saints at Bournemouth

Goalkeeper Artur Boruc is on loan to the Dorset club after falling out of favour at St Mary’s following Ronald Koeman’s arrival.

The Polish international has made 34 Championship appearances for the Cherries, and has only been on the losing end in three of them.

Howe also recently brought in Surman’s former Saints colleague Kenwyne Jones on loan from second tier rivals Cardiff City.

The striker made an instant impact by equalising at Ipswich on Good Friday just minutes after coming off the bench for his debut.

Jones has since made three more appearances off the bench in wins against Birmingham, Brighton and Reading.

Should they go up this season, Cherries would have gone from League 2 to the Premier League in just six seasons.

That would be the second quickest elevation from the fourth tier to the first since the top flight was rebranded in 1992.

Hull City won three promotions in five seasons between the start of 2003/04 and the end of 2007/08.