AIDY Boothroyd believes “it is only a matter of time” before Dominic Solanke finds goalscoring form in club football – and admits: “We are waiting for him to catch fire.”

Cherries frontman Solanke led the line for Boothroyd’s England under-21s in their European Championship opener against France.

The Young Lions slipped to a 2-1 defeat, with the former Chelsea and Liverpool man withdrawn after 71 minutes when the side led 1-0 through Phil Foden’s solo effort.

Solanke tomorrow is expected to drop to the bench for the crucial Group C clash with Romania in Cesena, Italy (5.30pm).

But Boothroyd had been full of praise for the Reading-born talent ahead of the tournament.

He told the Daily Echo: “He is a huge player for us. He is a really talented guy and I am glad he has got his career going again. I think he will do really well at Bournemouth.

“We think an awful lot of him and I have done for a number of years.

“He is very calm, he is very composed, he is very talented and he will get goals, I am sure. He certainly has done for us and he has done very well.”

Boothroyd added: “We are waiting for him to catch fire really. It is only a matter of time. He is such a talented player.”

Solanke holds a prolific record in international football, with 36 goals for the England age-group sides, from under-16s to under-21s.

However, opportunities at club level have been difficult to come by, including his six months to date at Vitality Stadium.

The 21-year-old has not netted in his 10 appearances for the Dorset outfit since his move from Merseyside for a fee understood to be around £17.5million, with add-ons potentially increasing the sum further.

He faced several injury issues and competed with experienced marksmen Callum Wilson and Joshua King for a starting berth.

Asked about the challenge Solanke faces to break into the Cherries starting line-up on a regular basis, Boothroyd said: “It is not easy but with the three of them you have three really good strikers and it is up to Dom to learn from them and do all he can to bypass them.

“It is a nice place for a coach to be in when you have players like that all fighting for the same place.”

Solanke has made 18 appearances for England under-21s since his debut in November 2015. In the current squad, only Demarai Gray and Tammy Abraham (both 24) have earned more caps.

Discussing the role the Young Lions experience can have for players who are not getting regular minutes for their clubs, Boothroyd said: “Part of what we do is put our arms around players and have a listen to what the problems are. What we offer is an opportunity for them to get themselves going again.

“We listen to what they have to say. We help them with the experience we have and, generally, they go back better than when they arrived.”