CHERRIES legend Steve Fletcher recalled his first impressions of Scott Parker, with today marking one year since the boss took charge of the club.

The former Fulham head coach replaced Jonathan Woodgate on June 28, 2021, after taking the decision to leave the Cottagers, following relegation from the Premier League.

And he instantly got a tune out of his players, as Cherries bounced back from play-off disappointment to embark on the longest unbeaten start to a league season in the club's history.

Parker's men sat top of the Championship after 15 matches without defeat, five points clear of Fulham.

And while Parker's former club overtook Cherries to eventually clinch the title, the 41-year-old did guide his new club to promotion at the first time of asking, finishing second.

Reflecting on his early impressions of Parker, Fletcher, who has now worked as a first-team coach under four different bosses at Cherries, told the Daily Echo: "Straightaway, from the first day he came in, he laid down what he wanted.

"He said ‘this is what I want’ and we did some extra running and I remember his speech and he said ‘do you know why we’re doing this running? It’s not because I want to flog you, it’s because other teams are not doing it’.

"And he named a few teams and straightaway the players bought into it and they were like ‘yeah, you’re right, because I want to be the fittest player in the team’.

"And it’s proven, we have the highest stats. Everyone has to buy into it. That makes my job harder, because I’ve got to go and then get into all the players and say ‘hey come on, you’ve got to get involved with this’ and they’ve got to believe in it."

Fletcher added: "Scotty lays out what he wants and then it takes the assistant manager, myself, Gary O’Neil, even the sports science department and the goalkeeping department, we’re all part of it and Scotty couldn’t be more thankful.

"He said some lovely words to us, how much he’s enjoyed working with us (this year) and how we drove the team.

"It takes everyone, in every department. Nobody talks about the medical and the sports science department, the analyst department, they’re huge, the hours the analysts put in and promotion is for them as much as anybody."

Fletcher, 49, made more than 800 appearances for Cherries across two spells, having first arrived from his native Hartlepool in 1992.

He also served the club as a scout and assistant manager, prior to settling into his current role as coach.

"Yes, you could turn around and say it’s my club, I’ve been here 30 years in July, but what these boys have achieved and everybody has dug in, it’s not just the coaching staff and the players, let me tell you now," insisted Fletcher, discussing Parker's first year in charge.

"For anyone who spends a day with us, can’t believe what actually goes on behind the scenes and what it takes to get the preparation right, not just for the season, but game by game, day by day, training session by training session and everyone deserves the plaudits. It’s fantastic."