YOUNG centre-back Zeno Ibsen Rossi made his competitive senior Cherries debut keeping a clean sheet in the 5-0 win over MK Dons and admits: "I just want to show the gaffer I’m good enough."

The tall 20-year-old was imperious against an underwhelming MK Dons side as he lined up in central defence alongside head coach Scott Parker's skipper on the day, Lloyd Kelly.

Although former Bristol City man Kelly is only two years his senior it is clear the gulf in experience with the captain's expert and calm play out the back, but young Ibsen Rossi didn't look out of place at all.

The defender played the full 90, won aerial duels at both ends of the pitch and could have even had a chance to score, had he made more of a headed half-chance that was sent straight at Argentine keeper Franco Ravizzoli.

Last season, the Streatham-born Cherries academy product spent time on loan at Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock, although eventually suffered relegation through the play-off.

After an enjoyable first warm-weather pre-season camp with Cherries, Ibsen Rossi hopes to keep picking up first-team minutes while the likes of Steve Cook are absent through injury.

He told the Daily Echo: "I just want to try and push for my opportunities and try to show the gaffer I’m good enough, just push on from my loan last season and use that experience to go forward.

"It gives me a lot of belief (Parker’s faith in youngsters), if you’re good enough you’re old enough, I think everyone has to prove themselves in training and we’ve seen this pre-season that he has given chances to young players, so it’s great for myself."

Asked about experiencing Parker's high-press system as the last line of defence, he said: "Yeah I think the idea is that if we press and win the ball early we will dominate the games, so it will help the legs.

"The more games we dominate the less time we spend chasing the ball so I think that’s the idea behind it. Yeah it’s hard work but I think any team that wants to compete at the top end of the table needs to compete that way.

"There's part of the risk and reward of it. The players in front of us have to go and press knowing and trusting that we’re behind them to back them up. Of course a front foot game like that you’re going to be caught out at times and its never going to be perfect, but the rewards are so high it’s worth playing like that."