EDDIE Howe says Benik Afobe’s appetite for goals reminds him of former Cherries forward Brett Pitman – and insists the striker can replicate Joshua King’s recent scoring feats.

Afobe had started nine matches on the bounce – his longest run in the side this season – before a hamstring injury forced him to miss last Saturday’s meeting with Stoke.

While the free-scoring King hogged the plaudits as Cherries eased clear of trouble during a fruitful March and April period, Afobe chipped in with some barnstorming performances and three goals of his own.

Since signing from Wolves in January last year, Afobe has scored 10 times in the Premier League, at a rate of one in every 2.6 starts.

Cherries boss Howe told the Daily Echo: “I am very happy with Benik and his goals to games ratio is extremely good.

“Ultimately, I am looking at a striker’s work rate and how they defend and attack set-plays, and so many other different aspects – but they live and die by their goal record and he has a very good return.

“He is a player who knows how to get into goalscoring positions. His movement is very good and he gets chances.

“And any player who is consistently able to create chances for himself, with the help of the team, will score goals.

“Benik does fit into that category, in a similar way to Brett Pitman and other strikers we have had down the years who thrived on scoring goals.”

Pitman plundered 102 goals across two spells with Cherries – 13 of them in the 2014-15 Championship-winning campaign. And King is now busy putting together some impressive numbers, with 12 strikes since the turn of the year for a season’s total of 15.

While Afobe has hit the target six times this term, it has not escaped his manager’s notice that the former Arsenal player could have been sitting pretty on a hefty tally, had he started more than 14 top-flight games.

Indeed, the figures suggest that the 24-year-old would conceivably be level-pegging with strike-partner King in the scoring charts if he had played all 36 of Cherries’ matches.

Asked whether Afobe boasted the potential to emulate King, Howe said “I think so, I don’t see any reason why not. If you look at his goals to games ratio, if he had played all season and managed to keep up that goalscoring rate, he would be on a very healthy total.

“Benik is improving and has a great attitude. He wants to work and get better all the time. He is prepared to put in the hard yards to gain those small margins he needs to improve his game and really elevate himself at this level.

“His game is in a good place and you have to remember how young he is, too.

“With Lys Mousset and Sam Surridge, as well, we have an exciting group of strikers coming through.”