Smith was a young player on loan at the Cherries in 2010-2011, when the team was in a very different place.
Now that he is a senior star in a stable Premier League team, he admits that rise for the club through the divisions has been impressive to witness.
“Even when I first joined here on the permanent, I didn't really see Bournemouth as a Premier League team,” Smith told Daily Echo.
“I just saw this as kind of a stepping stone to do well and then try and get a move into the Premier League.
“So it worked out like 18 months later we got promoted anyway.
“It was great for my career personally and I never thought it would have happened, to be honest.”
On the club’s planned new training ground, he added: “It's meant to be amazing.
“So myself and the lads are really looking forward to it because we've been here a while now and I think it'd be great for the community and the club going forward for sure.
“It just shows where this club's going.”
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