MARKS from regularly pinching himself have replaced the scars from Jeff Mostyn’s early days of fighting daily battles at AFC Bournemouth.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since Mostyn first arrived on the scene in 2006. In those days, he was black and blue. Now, he is red through and through.

Complicated ownership issues were a recurring theme in what was a messy period in the club’s history and Cherries’ exploits on the pitch were almost a sideshow.

Without Mostyn, who personally funded the club through administration, things could have been very different.

Mostyn will be a proud man when he returns to his home city and takes his place in the directors’ box at Manchester United today, a fitting finale to the club’s maiden campaign in the Premier League.

While his personal struggles are now but a distant memory, Mostyn knows his seat at Old Trafford owes much to Maxim Demin, whose arrival in November 2011 heralded the start of a new era.

“The club was languishing in League One and it was like walking through treacle at the time,” said Mostyn in an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo.

“What has happened since is the stuff of dreams. We have risen from the depths to the Premier League.

“I know Maxim would want me to pay respect on his behalf to every member of staff who has shared the journey and to Eddie, Jason, the squad and backroom staff. Without their success on the field, we know it would not have been possible.

“It is important for people to understand just how difficult the journey has been. Without the vision, commitment and huge financial commitment Maxim has shown, the club would have continued its journey in the lower divisions. We owe this remarkable man and his family a great debt of gratitude.

“Maxim is a very private person and his privacy is of utmost importance to him. That should not be mistaken for someone who either does not care or who is not involved with the business on a daily basis. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have an owner who is 100 per cent hands-on.”

Appointed chairman by Demin in September 2013, Mostyn continued: “Our strap-line is ‘Together, anything is possible’.

“I can assure people that without Maxim’s commitment, drive and leadership, plus his vast investment, our strap-line would read “Without him, nothing would be possible”.

“That is the reality of Maxim’s contribution to the club’s meteoric rise to the dizzy heights of the Premier League.

“Eddie’s leadership and the team’s performances have quite rightly earned the plaudits from the world’s press. But without Maxim, the success would not have been possible on the scale we have experienced.

“It would also be fair to say without his vision and insatiable appetite to win, the bond between manager and owner would not be as harmonious as it is. The common goal shared by Maxim, Eddie, Jason Tindall, Neill Blake and myself, together with our board of directors, is total trust and respect in each other. It is that ethos and bond that disseminates to all members of staff and players on a daily basis.

“In a recent interview when Eddie was asked about clubs enquiring about him, he said he didn’t have to look elsewhere as long as his relationship with the owner, CEO and chairman were as strong as they are. I think that sums up the strength of the relationships we all enjoy.

“What is also evident is the club’s success has created other investment opportunities that will be of huge benefit in driving future success. There is no better example of this than the American investors PEAK6 buying a 25 per cent stake. That again is a true testament to the status of the club and a personal endorsement of Maxim.

“On behalf of everyone associated with club, I would like to publicly thank Maxim for the incredible journey from rags to riches. We have all played a major part but it was Maxim who got us to our destination and along with Eddie, Jason and the boys, have kept us there.”