STAR striker Dom Solanke is keen to repay the faith shown by being awarded a new contract by Cherries.

The Reading-born goal scorer signed a two-year extension on Wednesday, tying him down to Cherries until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

The 24-year-old notched 30 goals last term in his most prolific campaign in red and black, proving his worth after enduring a tough time in front of goal during his first 12 months on the south coast.

Now back in the top-flight after finding his feet at the Vitality Stadium, the former Liverpool and Chelsea man is eager to keep playing – and keep scoring for Cherries.

In an interview with afcbtv, Solanke shared: “Obviously, since I came here, I just wanted to come and play football.

“The club’s allowed me to do that, especially in the last two years.

“I've played a lot of football and scored a lot of goals, so I'm looking forward to carrying that on in the Prem.”

When asked what had changed since he was last in the Premier League, Solanke responded: “I think it just comes down to playing. I think I'm at the age now, where I've had a lot of games behind me.

“I've matured a bit, got stronger, stuff like that. So, yeah, like I said, I'm just happy to be able to play.

“I think, like I said, a lot of games in between then and now, and I think I'm that's definitely helped my game mentally and physically.”

The camaraderie between the Cherries squad and staff was another factor Solanke considered when deciding to extend his stay, with the attacker stating: “We've got a fantastic team here.

“I think you saw the spirit, especially last year, fighting at the top of the table and getting that promotion over the line. You can see how much of a good team spirit we have here with the staff, the fans and the players.

“I think the staff here definitely know how to work us, but that's what we need.

“It's been a tough pre-season. I think every footballer knows that's probably the hardest bit of football, the pre-season. But, yeah, I'm glad that's coming to an end now, and the business starts.

“I think it's been a good few weeks now. We had a good time away in Portugal, a lot of hard work and a lot of games and tough training sessions, so, yeah, I feel we’re in a good place.”