DEPARTING coach Anthony White described as “an absolute privilege” his time working at Cherries, adding: “I don’t see a stronger goalkeeping department in the Championship.”

White left Cherries last month, having joined from Oldham Athletic in 2016 to work as an assistant to head of the goalkeeping department and club legend Neil Moss.

He has now taken up a role as men’s national team goalkeeping coach with England, predominantly working with the country’s under-19s and under-20s, and has spent this international break teaching the talents of the future at St George’s Park.

During his time at Cherries, most of which came in the Premier League, White helped oversee the development of the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Mark Travers into the first team, as well as working with experienced pros such as Artur Boruc, Adam Federici and Asmir Begovic.

Looking back on his time at the club, White told the Daily Echo: “It’s obviously tough to leave Bournemouth. Four-and-a-half years together, me and Mossy, almost as a double act if you want to call it.

“We joked that I’m his shadow. We’ve got Mossy and Matt Parker and as a trio we’ve worked really closely together. For Mossy, a person I didn’t know four-and-a-half years ago, we were on an A license together for coaching and we almost became like best mates, as weird as it sounds because there’s 18 years difference between us.

“But we’re inseparable. I live two doors down from his mum!”

White added: “Having the privilege to be working under Eddie Howe for four years was unbelievable. He was really tough, in a good way, on the goalkeeping department. And what I mean by that is he was tough but fair.

“He gave us a different insight into goalkeeping that wasn’t just goalkeeping all the time. He pushed us to be better. I think that was just the manner that he had around the place and the way that he spoke. And then obviously working under JT and Purchy has been very different, has been very good.

“They’ve put different ideas, but just a continuation really of what the previous manager had done. So I think it’s been an absolute privilege for me to come into an environment where I haven’t played with any of the coaches, all of the coaches have played together, so I was almost a nomad if you want to call it that. So the privilege to learn off all of them and understand their experiences has been fantastic.

“And obviously working alongside Mossy and Matt Parker has been nothing short of a dream for a 24-year-old to leave at 28 having done that.”

Before joining Cherries, White led the goalkeeping department at League One Oldham and admits the step to the top flight, and also to becoming an assistant, taught him different skills.

“When Mossy called me four-and-a-half years ago it was about improving the department,” explained White.

“I think the main thing is, like I did at Oldham, is get young goalkeepers coming through. It’s really hard at Bournemouth because you only have a catchment area of 30 per cent of what you can actually do. Because half of it is the forest and half is the sea!

“So you’re recruiting prospects then almost in line with Southampton or Portsmouth, who are massive clubs. So you have to make the best of what you can get hold of. The club were very good, they backed us bringing in Travs, they backed us bringing in Will (Dennis) and they backed us bringing in Rammers and all of a sudden you’ve got three young lads there that I’d like to think there’s a bit of a legacy there now for the football club for the first team going forward.

“The actual goalkeeping department now with Asmir, Mark and Will is actually a really, really strong goalkeeping department. I’d say it’s probably one of the strongest goalkeeping departments in the Championship.

“You’ve got two full internationals and a young lad coming through who could get called up to the England environment. I don’t see a stronger goalkeeping department in the Championship in terms of players. A really good, diverse mix to be honest.”

And while White is now raring to showcase his skills on the international scene, he has his eyes on a club return in the future.

He said: “I did three years at Oldham as a head of goalkeeping with the first team. The challenge there was to produce players to sell because it was a selling club, so we had to sell two of our goalkeepers in that time.

“Then you come to a bigger club in the Premier League for four years, you go as an assistant so it’s a learning curve because you’re doing a lot of coaching but you’re also doing a lot of things behind the scenes ¬- recruitment, philosophy of the department and things like that.

“I think I need now, having done seven years, to go and better myself. As weird as it sounds, I know my weaknesses and I don’t want to have those same weaknesses at 35. I’d like to be comfortable in terms of your own head that you know what, I can come back a better coach and maybe a head in a Premier League department in three or four years’ time.”