TYRONE Mings admitted his first Premier League start had been "a big point in my career”– but revealed he was still trying to regain his fitness after an 18-month injury nightmare.

Defender Mings tore his medial cruciate ligament and anterior cruciate ligament just two months after joining Cherries from Ipswich in the summer of 2015.

The 23-year-old stepped up his painstaking recovery when he appeared as a late substitute in Cherries' victory over Leicester last month.

And after playing 90 minutes in Cherries' FA Cup defeat at Millwall, he retained his place in the middle of defence for the clash at Hull on Saturday.

Mings told the Daily Echo: "It was a good occasion for me, making my full Premier League debut.

"The result wasn’t what we expected or what we were hoping for but, personally, it’s a big point in my career."

There was a moment of concern in the second half at the KCOM Stadium when Mings appeared to jar his knee as he landed heavily after contesting a ball with Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.

The £8million signing, though, allayed any fears he could be set for another layoff.

Rather, Mings is satisfied with how his body has responded to playing successive games – and is now targeting more match action.

“I’m okay,” he said. “There’s no problem.

“My body feels alright. I’m still working towards being fully fit. You can’t replicate match situations in training, there’s only so much you can get Monday to Friday.

“But I’m getting there. I felt good at Hull. I had a bit of cramp towards the end, but nothing too major.”

Despite his own landmark outing, Mings’s overriding emotion from his day in East Yorkshire was of frustration at an opportunity missed for his team.

Cherries were destined to move within one point of eighth-placed West Brom when they led Hull through Junior Stanislas’s early penalty.

But the hosts hit back to condemn Eddie Howe’s side to a 3-1 defeat, a result that saw Cherries slip two spots to 11th.

“Of course it was a missed opportunity,” said Mings.

"We were in control for half-an-hour but then took our foot off the gas and let them build up a head of steam.

"From there, with them being at home and having their fans behind them, it was very difficult to turn it around."

After Abel Hernandez had scored twice for Hull, Mings diverted Tom Huddlestone's strike into his own net to effectively confirm his team's fate.

Nevertheless, he insisted Cherries' players all shared the same sense of dismay at how the match had slipped from their grasp.

“The manager was disappointed with how we played, which was obviously understandable,” added Mings.

“The lads were disappointed with our performance and the fans will be disappointed with it as well.

“The only thing we can do now is try not to dwell on it too much and go out against Watford on Saturday and put it right.”