HE MIGHT have started out at Manchester United but Joshua King says his move to Cherries has given him the most important opportunity of his career.

The Norway international spent five years in the Old Trafford set-up after joining as a 16-year-old in January 2008 but injury stunted to some extent his progress.

He made his senior bow as a late substitute in a 1-0 League Cup win over Wolves in September 2009 but subsequently failed to establish himself under Sir Alex Ferguson in the face of fierce competition.

Injury troubled the youngster during loan spells at Preston and Borussia Mönchengladbach, with a Champions League substitute appearance in a 1-0 loss at Galatasaray coming in between.

And after short-term switches to Championship sides Hull and Blackburn, King joined the latter outfit permanently in January 2013 and took to eight goals in 74 Rovers appearances his tally.

He remained at Ewood Park until Cherries swooped in May, the Oslo-born man turning down a new deal before moving on.

And despite his lengthy involvement at 20-time domestic champions United, King insisted his switch to Dorset would provide a more important opportunity.

He told the Daily Echo: “I was at one of the biggest clubs in the world and had the chance to progress but injury held me back.

“Training with the first team, getting my debut in the League Cup and playing in the Champions League was amazing. United was an amazing school and I learnt a lot.

“Sometimes things don’t go your way and it could have been down to injuries or a couple of things. But I look forward to focusing 100 per cent on Bournemouth now.

“I think it’s the most important opportunity of my career. My club career has been stop-start and I don’t think I would be here without the national team as I’ve done well for Norway.

“Eddie Howe has given me a chance and I have to prove I’m good enough to get in this team. There are some amazing players here who did unbelievably last season.

“It’s not going to be easy. Everyone is going to fight for their spot but there is a great team spirit here and I have really enjoyed it.

“Moving here is not just about playing time but also about being coached by the staff, who are so passionate about what they do.

“In my first session I realised that I would really need to focus because standards were so high. I’m very professional and I like it when coaches set their standards high and you can set a goal to reach them.”