GOALKEEPING guru Neil Moss is convinced the best is yet to come from new Cherries favourite Ryan Allsop and insists: “He is the real deal.”

Mentor Moss urged the 20-year-old to continue seizing his big Cherries chance after watching him make an excellent start to life at Dean Court.

Picked ahead of Shwan Jalal, Allsop has repaid manager Eddie Howe with two clean sheets and a penalty save in his three appearances for the club.

After tasting defeat on his debut against Doncaster, Allsop produced faultless performances in back-to-back 1-0 victories at Stevenage and Oldham.

Popular former Cherries number one Moss, who coaches the club’s keepers, has warned Allsop he will need to maintain his standards to fend off competition from experienced duo Jalal and Darryl Flahavan.

But Moss is confident the former Leyton Orient star, signed by Cherries in January, possesses the mentality and ability to build on his efforts.

He told the Daily Echo: “Ryan has been given the nod and he hasn’t done anything wrong so far. He has done well and he was a big reason why we won the game at Oldham.

“It is up to the other boys to take that shirt off him but while Ryan is in the side, he has got to make the most of it, learn from each game and, if there is anything he does wrong, make sure he learns from it quickly.

“If he doesn’t perform, there are other keepers snapping at his heels, but I am sure Ryan will make a big say of it because he is the real deal in a lot of ways. He is a good goalkeeper and he has got quite an old head on those young shoulders.”

Allsop, who is nicknamed Rocky, made 20 league appearances for Orient this term before being left out after declining the offer of a new contract.

Moss reckons working alongside Jalal, Flahavan, Benji Buchel and ex-England star David James can only help Allsop’s development.

“Jal and Flavs are two fantastic professionals and it is the same with Dave as well,” said Moss. “He has just left us but I think he wants to train with us a few times. It is an unbelievable school for Ryan to learn from.

“Benji picked up a horrible injury but he has got some attributes. He is very quick, very agile, a good lad and a good pro.

“So, Ryan has four other keepers around him and if he can’t learn from them, then there is something wrong.

“In terms of Dave, Jal and Flavs, they have seen and done it all. With the way they conduct themselves and the amount of effort they put into every training session, if Ryan can get that into his game then he is only going to go one way and that is up.

“He is laid back, confident and at 20 years of age with a limited number of first-team games, he will only get better.”