SCOTT Parker believes some people were too quick to write-off striker Dominic Solanke, following the slow start to his Cherries career.

Solanke has enjoyed a stellar season in front of goal this term, notching his 18th of the campaign during the 1-0 win over QPR on Monday evening.

The 24-year-old has already scored more goals this season than any other during his club career.

Only Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic (22) and Blackburn forward Ben Brereton Diaz (19) have scored more than Solanke's 17 Championship goals this term.

But it has not always been so fruitful in front of goal for Solanke.

Following his initial £17.5million switch to Cherries from Liverpool in January 2019, it would take a full year for the England international to finally score for his new club - in a 4-0 FA Cup win over Luton Town on his 31st Cherries appearance.

Since dropping down to the Championship, Solanke has begun to flourish, netting 33 times in 70 appearance following Cherries' relegation from the Premier League in July 2020.

Asked if some had written Solanke off too early after his early struggles at the club, boss Parker told the Daily Echo: "That’s the world we’re in. We’re in a world where everyone writes everyone off within about a minute of seeing it.

"You judge a performance from one game to the next – you’re either the best player or you’re the worst. You’re either the best team or you’re the worst. You’re either the best manager or you’re the worst.

"That’s just the world we’re in. If there’s one thing in this current world it is perspective and rationale and sometimes just a deep breath to see things for really what they are and not the narrative someone wants to write.

"When you come with a young player like Dominic Solanke, coming from Liverpool, paying £20million, you already want to write your narrative where it’s going to go. If you don’t score within the first season or don’t score within the first three months, it’s there for everyone.

"I do think the way people think nowadays is exactly that. He came with a big fee, £20million, that isn’t Dom’s fault. He was a young player, left Chelsea, left Liverpool, coming into the Premier League, sometimes you just need a little bit of time. A little bit of time to grow, a little bit of time to understand certain things and if you give people that, while they’ve also got the mindset of understanding it as well, being relentless in their pursuit of what they want, like he has every day, then you come out the other side of it.

"Some players don’t, some people don’t. Some players sink from that a little bit. Dominic Solanke isn’t that guy, hence why he’s now on more goals than what he scored last year.

"He’s had two back-to-back seasons, he’s a top forward."

Parker added: "I met someone in Dom and have known him now for six months, the boy has got some laser focus about him. Driven boy, who is very laser-focused really.

"It was a hostile crowd (at QPR). He misses the first chance and the crowd, you can tell at that moment, is two ways to go there with Dom.

"But he then executed a lovely finish. He’s got to just put enough on the ball to use the pace of the cross, which he did very well.

"And then his all-round game, no-one can convince me, I’m his biggest, biggest supporter.

"What that boy gives to this team in terms of his goals, his general play and his work ethic is incredible. Hence why he is where he currently is, in the form he is in and how well he’s doing really."