A FOOTBALL-mad marketer has been headhunted by Cherries after a short stint at Oxford United.

Dan Buckley only began working for Oxford’s marketing department in December 2016, but within just eight months he’d done enough to catch the eye of AFC Bournemouth and make the two-division leap to the South Coast side.

A sports marketing graduate from the University of Northampton, Dan said: “It has been a rollercoaster year, to make it in to the Football League and then within a matter of months jump to the Premier League is something I never thought would be possible.

“I knew AFC Bournemouth was the right fit for me after my first interview. The club puts faith in young talent, and I knew I could grow here. You only have to look at the first team manager, Eddie Howe, to see the greatest example of them trusting young and ambitious staff.

“If I had moved to a different Premier League club, I could just be a number on payroll. Here I am part of a family and I am very proud to have been given this opportunity."

Dan, originally from Bicester, said he has no regrets about moving to the south coast.

"Living in the town itself is great, within five minutes I can be on the beach - who wouldn’t love that?"