CHERRIES flop Christian Atsu explained how his "body could not cope" with Eddie Howe's training sessions during his brief loan stint at the club.

Winger Atsu arrived from Chelsea on loan during the 2015-16 campaign, Cherries' first season in the Premier League, having just been named Africa Cup of Nations player of the tournament for his exploits with Ghana.

Upon his arrival, chief executive Neill Blake described the addition of Atsu as "a huge coup".

However, the proposed season-long switch did not go to plan with Atsu only featuring twice, during League Cup games at Hartlepool and Preston, before he cut short his stay and joined La Liga outfit Malaga.

He went on to sign for Newcastle United and has gone on to feature 121 times for the Magpies, scoring eight goals.

However, after falling out of favour under boss Steve Bruce, Atsu was banished to the under-23s last season, playing just once for the first team before his contract expired this summer.

Discussing his forgettable time at Cherries, Atsu told The Athletic: "That’s one of the most difficult moments of my career, along with this last season at Newcastle.

“Oh my God, it was so tough. The way Bournemouth train, two-hour high-intensity sessions – it was something new and my body needs more rest in training, then to go higher intensity into games.

"My body could not cope. Eddie Howe was a good manager but the training did not suit me. I had to move on."

He added: “The Spanish league really suited me and physically I felt better."