CHERRIES goal hero Marc Pugh said he had focused on letting his "feet do the talking" during an extended absence from Eddie Howe's side.

Pugh responded to being handed a first Premier League start of the season by rifling home the winner against reigning champions Leicester on Tuesday.

The winger dedicated his strike to his ill grandad, Derek, and paid tribute to his family for keeping him grounded while he waited for his first-team chance.

Pugh told the Daily Echo: "I’m absolutely delighted. I’ve spent a couple of months out of the team, so to come back and score the winning goal was an amazing feeling.

"You just have to let your feet do the talking and do your training. I played under-21 games and travelled up and down the country to keep my match fitness for special moments like this.

"If you’re not ready when called upon it can just pass you by. I’m quite fortunate to have a great family behind me as well. They keep my feet firmly on the ground.

"If you do have a difficult day, you just go home to your kids, enjoy it and tomorrow’s another day. And this was a great day for me."

Pugh's late cameo at Burnley on Saturday represented just his second Premier League outing this term.

And the 29-year-old revealed he had only discovered he would line up against Leicester hours before kick-off.

"We were working on team shape in the morning and I was in the starting X1," said Pugh.

"I just thought, 'right, I’ve got to be really professional here and take my chance'.

"Sometimes in the Premier League you have to accept chances don’t come around too often and, when they do, you have to be ready."

Pugh scored with a sweet strike after the ball had fallen to him following Ron-Robert Zieler's save from Benik Afobe.

He admitted the thought of adding to the three top-flight strikes he recorded last term had sustained him through his period in the wilderness.

"My eyes lit up when it came out to me and I was delighted with that one, although I need to work on my celebration!" said Pugh.

"It's all you think about when you’re not in the team. It’s an indescribable feeling.

"You just want to score goals when you’re an attacking player and that feeling, especially when you win the game, is what you’re in it for.

"Hopefully there’s a lot more to come now this season."

Pugh is the latest in a wave of Cherries players to come in from the cold and hit the ground running.

The Lancastrian claims that phenomenon can be ascribed to Howe's astute handling of those individuals waiting for their opportunity.

"The gaffer’s really good at that (keeping players onside)," said Pugh. "If you’re training well and your attitude’s right, he’ll give you a chance and show belief in you.

"Thankfully, he did that with me – and hopefully I showed it was a good decision."