JUNIOR Stanislas says Eddie Howe is more "intense" than when the pair were together at Burnley and the Cherries manager has developed a team with a clear "identity".

Howe took Stanislas to Turf Moor from West Ham in 2011 and subsequently went back to Burnley to bring the winger to Dean Court three years ago.

And Stanislas's gamble of swapping newly-promoted Burnley for then Championship team Cherries has paid rich dividends.

He has become a firm favourites of his manager's and would surely have made more than his 21 Premier League appearances in the past campaign were it not for a handful of niggling injuries.

The Londoner scored in each of Cherries' final three games before travelling to Germany for surgery to cure a hernia problem.

Asked if Howe's methods had changed since he was in charge at Burnley, Stanislas told the Daily Echo: "It is the same philosophy, in terms of wanting to pass the ball, but maybe a little bit more intense.

"He wants the best for his players and for the team as well, which is maybe why there is that extra intensity.

"I think he has stuck to his beliefs. He works hard on improving players and I think he is getting payback for that now.

"He has a massive influence on the players. When you have worked with a coach every day, for as long as I have – and it is the same for the other boys who have come up through the divisions – you have that stability.

"You know exactly what he wants from you and it is down to you to deliver it.

"As players, we are improving under him. We have not made that many changes coming up through the leagues, so everyone has had to improve to cope with the demands of the Premier League."

Cherries finished ninth in the recent top-flight campaign, an improvement of seven places on their previous season's efforts.

They amassed 46 points, four more than their total in 2015-16.

The former achievement maintained Howe's astonishing record of elevating Cherries to a higher spot every season since he returned to the club in October 2012.

As such, Stanislas, who expects to be fit for Cherries' pre-season campaign, acknowledges it is vital for the club to hang onto their manager for as long as possible.

"It's massive," said the 27-year-old. "He just seems to get the best out of the players he has. This is one of the few clubs in the Premier League, outside of the top teams, that has an identity.

"You know exactly what you'll get from us, in terms of passing the ball and trying to play football how we think it should be played.

"A lot of managers out there play a little bit more direct and do anything to get the job done.

"We obviously want to get the job done – but we try to do it the right way as well."