WHEN Ben Pearson signed for Cherries from Preston North End – he admitted he was looking to “get out of my comfort zone”.

But there simply could not have been much more of an uncomfortable situation than seeing the manager who signed you, sacked less than a week later.

The 26-year-old ended his five-year stay at Deepdale to pen a three-and-a-half year contract at Vitality Stadium in January.

Pearson’s first inclusion in a matchday squad for the Dorset outfit was as an unused substitute, during the 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last month.

That loss to the Owls was to be Jason Tindall’s final game in charge at Cherries. Pearson had started a fresh chapter in his career, with a new era at his latest club.

But the determined midfielder has taken the situation in his stride and kept his focus – putting in some impressive displays under new head coach Jonathan Woodgate.

So, what has the past month been like for the Oldham-born star to deal with?

“I’ve really enjoyed it up to now. All the lads have been really welcoming and I’ve settled in nicely,” Pearson told the Daily Echo.

“On the football front it was a tricky start – obviously the manager going. It probably didn’t help my cause to start with.

“It’s probably not ideal when you sign and the manager gets sacked a couple of days after.

“But I’ve been playing the past couple of games and enjoying it, we’ve been winning games, so there’s not much to complain about.

“I spoke with Woody and he said how much he enjoyed watching me as a player when he was at Middlesbrough.

“That gave me confidence that I’m in his plans. It’s football for you, I think you’ve just got to get on with it.”

Having come through the youth ranks at Manchester United as well as having a loan spell at Barnsley, Pearson played 165 times for Preston, having joined the Lilywhites in January 2016.

He had never played his football for a club in the south, before linking up with Cherries.

“I am down on my own at the minute,” he said. “I’m just in an apartment, so on days off and after training, I’m looking for places to get into more permanent.

“But I will concentrate on the football, that will sort itself out over the next couple of months.

“It’s probably the first time I have moved from up north. I’ve been on loan before but nothing as far as Bournemouth.

“It was something I was looking for in my career, just get out of my comfort zone – go and experience something new.

“This challenge came about, so I thought I’d take it with everything considered - as in the team, where we are in the league. I think everything sort of worked out perfectly.”

During the six games Pearson has featured in for Cherries thus far, he is yet to be on a losing side with four wins and two draws.

Although he admitted Saturday’s 1-1 result back at his old stomping ground at Deepdale could have worked out better.

Giving his thoughts on the contest, the Cherries star said: “Disappointed really. I think after the first-half performance we probably should have been more than a goal up.

“We had good chances, limited them to pretty much nothing, maybe a few crosses across goal but apart from that, I thought it was a good first-half performance.

“Second half, it got a bit scrappy. I don’t think we got our foot on the ball as much. There was a lot of free-kicks, throw-ins and stoppages in play which didn’t help. I don’t know. Just disappointed with the point really.

“It was a bit strange. I obviously know what they are about, how they are going to play, what they are like individually.

“It was nice but different to play against them. I’d have liked the win but it was not meant to be. We’ve just got to keep momentum going.

“I think if you’re looking at a positive, I suppose we haven’t lost the game. We keep that streak of not losing carrying on, so I think that’s one of the positives.”

The reunions do not stop there for Pearson, however.

Next up for Cherries is the Tykes, the loan club he featured for 51 times in total, across two different seasons.

It is also the club Woodgate’s men need to catch for a play-off place at present, with the Oakwell side sixth in the Championship – one point above Cherries with a game in hand.

“I think we needed this free week,” said Pearson.

“It’s been hectic for the past month. With Barnsley next week, I know they are flying and just above us at the minute, that will be a massive game.

“It gives us a week to freshen up and prepare for that.

“I think we have to take the positives from here (Preston), move on and don’t dwell on it too much – go into that Barnsley game with confidence.”

Barnsley are in action when they host Derby on Wednesday (7pm).