DAVID Brooks penned a new long-term contract before setting his sights on continuing his sensational start to life in a Cherries shirt – no matter what position he plays.

The 21-year-old has been one of the shining lights of Cherries’ fourth Premier League campaign having joined from Sheffield United last summer.

Used predominantly as a winger by boss Eddie Howe, Brooks has bagged six goals and four assists in 23 top-flight appearances.

He has also played the number-10 role and on Saturday featured as a central midfielder during the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

And the Welsh international said he would play any position required of him by Howe.

Brooks told the Daily Echo: “I want to play as high up the pitch as possible to try to create and score goals but if the gaffer needs me to play in centre midfield then I am happy to do so and I think I can still affect the game there. It’s completely up to him.

“The squad has taken a bit of a hit with long and short-term injuries so if the gaffer needs someone to play out of position and cover a job then I’m happy to do so.

“The aim of me signing was to try to make an impact and to try to affect the team and I think I’ve done that so far and, hopefully, I can continue.

“It’s nice when the fans talk about you but you just want to do your best for the team and to try to help as much as possible.”

Brooks, who had been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham in January, has won Cherries’ Michael Matthews player-of-the-month award three times this season.

The Warrington-born ace has attracted rave reviews from far and wide, including from Match of the Day pundits, and could be a candidate for the Professional Footballers’ Association’s player-of-the-year award.

Put to him that Brooks had been blissfully unaware of the excitement his displays had caused, Howe said: “That’s the type of player you want.

“You want people who love the game, want to improve and have a genuine desire to enjoy the experiences they are going through.

“He has very much fitted into that profile and hasn’t been fazed by anything off the pitch.

“The off-the-pitch stuff, I would urge any young player to stay away from. You want them to really focus on the day-to-day football side – improving and learning.

“At his age, that’s crucial to his future development and he’s done those things so far.”

Discussing Brooks’s effortless step up from the Championship, Howe added: “I haven’t been surprised on the ability side and the technical level. The intelligence was always there.

“It’s been more the physicality and his ability to do a great job defensively for the team.

“That has been really underestimated sometimes. A lot of people looked at his goals and assists but it was more the team play which really impressed me.”