LOAN recruit Kenwyne Jones is keen to put talk of his own future on the back-burner and focus his attentions on helping to get Cherries’ Premier League promotion push over the line.

The former Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke striker last week joined Cherries from Championship rivals Cardiff and will remain at Dean Court until the end of the season.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Jones gave a candid insight into his move – claiming it had “caught me by surprise” and adding he was “still trying to understand how it came about”.

The 30-year-old, who has a wealth of top-flight experience, also hailed Cherries boss Eddie Howe as “probably the best manager I have worked with on the club front”.

Trinidadian international Jones, Cardiff’s leading scorer this season, joined Sunderland for around £6million in 2007 before moving to Stoke in a club record £8m deal in 2010.

Asked whether he had been expecting to join Cherries on loan, Jones replied: “No. It caught me by surprise. I didn’t think there were many things in football that would have surprised me any more and this actually did. I am still trying to understand how it came about.

“It was bizarre. I have seen and been through quite a lot in football and this one was a bit surprising. I got a call on Thursday at a quarter-past-eight talking about interest. I was like, with seven games to go, I don’t really see the sense in it. By a quarter-to-nine, it was finished. Whatever transpired between whoever in that 30 minutes, I don’t know.”

Although there is no provision in the deal for the move to be made permanent, Jones was asked whether the possibility of joining Cherries had crossed his mind: “I will be playing to do well and playing to try to help them over the line. Whatever takes place after that, I won’t be able to say until the conversation is had. For now, it is just about training well, trying to play well and getting Bournemouth promoted.”

Jones, who has trained with Cherries for the past two days, was asked about working with Howe: “It has been a short time and I have been very impressed with his work-rate, attention to detail and philosophy. For me, he is probably the best manager I have worked with on the club front.

“That is the type of impression he has made on me. That has come from being here and looking from afar and seeing how they play. The aspiration is to work well and to keep the run going. When that has finished, we will have a rest and see what happens.”