CHERRIES manager Eddie Howe believes Jordon Ibe is reaping the rewards of putting in some overtime.

Winger Ibe has been one of Cherries’ shining lights during an indifferent start to their Premier League campaign.

The 21-year-old started and finished his first top-flight game for the club in the 2-1 defeat at Everton.

Ibe, who had been subbed on or off in his previous 29 games, played 90 minutes in the Premier League for the first time since May 2016 when he helped Liverpool to a 2-0 win over Watford.

By his own admission, Ibe said his first season with Cherries had been “very poor” following his big-money move from Anfield in July 2016.

And in a bid to stake his claim for more game time, the Londoner has been working with Howe and his coaching staff on his days off.

Howe said: “Working with Jordon, I have always seen someone who wants to do well and he certainly has the talent and the tools.

“Trying to put it all together in the toughest league in the world is not easy, especially for someone so young.

“But he has been coming in on his days off. He has done extra work with all the coaches and has shown that willingness to improve and develop himself.

“Sometimes you get instant rewards for that and sometimes it takes time. When you don’t get the instant returns on that work, you feel like you are not necessarily improving at the rate you want to.

“That’s the challenge – how willing are you to keep going back and doing the right things to eventually get that payback?

“I think that is what Jordon has done. He has been patient and, hopefully, he is now seeing some progression and reward for all the endeavour he has put in.”

Howe also pointed to the settling-in period a player needs when he joins Cherries and how it can take time to adjust to their methods.

“Jordon has matured from since he first arrived,” added Howe. “There was a process where he had to learn the demands we expect of him every day.

“It is not just for Jordon but for many of the new players, especially the younger ones. There is a change of environment and a change of expectation.

“Sometimes the process takes a while for them to fully understand what we expect but I think he gets it now.

“He has been here long enough to know what we want from him and, slowly but surely, I would like to think he will continue to improve from this point.”

Ibe played a starring role when Cherries broke their seasonal duck in the Premier League by providing assists for Andrew Surman and Jermain Defoe to score against Brighton.

He will be hoping to keep his place when Cherries host Leicester at Vitality Stadium on Saturday.