FREE-SCORING Philip Billing revealed how he started his career playing on the wing in Denmark before transitioning into central midfield.

The 24-year-old has struck three times in as many league games for Cherries, having been thrust into a more advanced number 10 role under Jonathan Woodgate.

Copenhagen-born Billing played for Esbjerg, initially starting his career out wide at youth level, before joining Huddersfield Town in 2013.

But having filled in at centre-midfield due to injuries all those years ago, the Cherries star admitted he has been played there ever since.

Asked about now featuring higher up the pitch for Cherries, Billing told TalkSPORT: “Personally, I have always played as a centre-mid and people see me as a centre defensive midfielder.

“But I actually started out playing as a winger a long time ago back in Denmark. It was one game randomly I had to play centre-mid and I did all right.

“I kind of just stuck in there. It was an injury and I had to move in. I have just always been seen as a centre-mid even though I don’t feel like that’s been my position.

“I have been here (in England) for eight years now and everybody knows me as a centre-mid. You can’t go up to a manager and be like ‘I think I should play 10 or further forward’ when they are used to you playing centre-mid.

“I kind of thought to myself if I ever get the chance to play further forward, I am just going to show people I can do it and it’s probably more my position.

“We didn’t really talk about it. He (Woodgate) kind of just randomly put me in there. He did ask me if I could play 10 and I was like ‘yeah, I can’.

“He put me in there and I just enjoy that role a lot more.

“I feel more free and you can express yourself a lot more – that’s how I feel in that position personally. That’s why I’m enjoying it so much.”

Billing has enjoyed a resurgence under Woodgate since the head coach took over from Jason Tindall back in February.

With Woodgate, Billing has scored five times in 13 games. His record at Cherries before the head coach took charge was four goals in 57 appearances.

Quizzed on what it was like working with the former England defender, he replied: “It’s pretty simple to be fair. He’s got his ideas and all we can do is try to buy into it.

“To be fair, I’d probably more say his ideas are the dirty work of the game you have to do to win games.

“We can see how hard we work for each other. I thought we looked very strong defensively recently, which is up to the gaffer.

“He is working a lot with the defence and I think you can see that on the pitch as well – how well we are working defensively but also in attack.

“To win games you need good defence and you need to be really good going forward as well. At the minute we are doing both pretty all right, so hopefully we can just continue improving that.

“I think we have the chemistry at the moment. That’s how I feel going forward anyway. I just feel fluent and it’s good.”