WILY winger Marc Pugh admits he has learned to use his head to get the better of Championship full-backs this season.

The 27-year-old, brought to Dean Court in the summer of 2010, has made 42 appearances for Cherries in 2013-14 in his first crack at the second tier.

And while the wide man revealed he had benefited from the attacking instincts of many left-sided players, he insisted he had still had to improve his game.

Pugh told the Daily Echo: “They are all good full-backs in this league and I'm more of a technical winger as I haven't got blistering pace, so I prefer playing against a full-back that likes to bomb on and a lot of them do in the Championship.

“They are still quick to react and you have got to use your brain a little bit more than in League One. It's developed me as a player because you need to learn how to perform in different situations against different players.

“A big factor is confidence. You have to be confident going into a game because if you go in with any negativity, you're not going to perform to your best.

“You've got to believe you're going to be better than the opponent and that's what I've tried to do on a weekly basis.”

Pugh was a part of the Cherries side that remained in League One for two seasons before Eddie Howe returned as manager in October 2012 and guided the Dean Court outfit up to the Championship.

Three-and-a-half years after he first joined, Pugh admits he is still sometimes taken aback when he thinks about the turnaround at the club.

He added: “There's been a lot more positives than negatives since I've been here and I've loved every minute of it.

Eddie Mitchell brought the club back to life and now Maxim Demin has come in and done absolutely brilliantly. Things have improved dramatically and it's been a joy to be a part of.

“I've always said I love living here and the football's matching that at the moment. It ticks all the boxes and you just can't beat the place. It's a great set of lads and a great environment.”