BREAKING NEWS: A statement on the club’s official website said: “Bournemouth Football Club is completely devastated to announce that a star player has passed away at the age of 31.

Former Rovers man Rothwell spent the second half of last season on loan at Southampton from Bournemouth, making 20 appearances.

The midfielder is relishing the challenge ahead as Leeds aim to go one step further than last term, which ended in heartbreak against the Saints in the play-off final.

“As soon as I heard of the interest, it was something I was desperate to make happen and we managed to do it quite quickly,” he told the official club channel.

“I had a good few conversations with (Daniel Farke). He obviously spoke really highly of the place and what brought him here.

“It made me want to come here even more and there is only one aim this year. I don’t think Leeds United needs selling to anyone, it is a huge football club.

“We were a bit unlucky last year and the aim is to get back to the Premier League. I want to come here, try to add a bit of experience and help the team do that.

“It was a bit of a freak season with the team accumulating the points they did. Any other season, 90 points usually gets you up.

“It was a weird season but watching from afar, they are a really exciting team to watch and it is something I am really excited to be a part of.”

The 29-year-old played 13 times for the Cherries during the first half of last season, scoring in a Carabao Cup tie against Stoke.

Despite helping Southampton secure promotion back to the top flight, Rothwell admitted his time at St Mary’s had not quite gone to plan.

Earlier this summer, he said: “It’s probably not quite gone as I would’ve liked it to but I tried to contribute in ways that I can.

“We managed to get the job done in the end. Obviously, that was the end goal when I came here so, thankfully, we managed to do that.”