CHERRIES boss Scott Parker believes football is a universal language when it comes to breaching the communication barrier with Jefferson Lerma.

The Colombian international made a strong start to the campaign, opening Cherries’ account for the season just two minutes into the season with his strike against Aston Villa.

Despite playing in the slightly unfamiliar position of centre-half, the 27-year-old put in a battling display, helping his side to record a 2-0 win on the opening day.

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Since arriving on the south coast from Spain in 2018, Lerma has yet to master English, largely communicating in his native Spanish.

And whilst Parker admitted it was sometimes “tough” to get his tactical points across, he hailed the former Levante man’s footballing brain.

Speaking about the midfielder destroyer, Parker told the Daily Echo: “It's been tough, training on the grass, classroom stuff, just in terms of explaining to him certain things, his positions and showing him clips.

“He's football bright, so while his English isn’t great, he understands things.

“Jeff’s a player that you give him information and you deliver information, he quickly understands it and executes it.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Parker then went on to praise Lerma’s winning mentality, labelling him a “street fighter”, such is his desire to fight for three points once the whistle goes.

He believes Lerma’s attributes could prove crucial if Cherries are to achieve their pre-season goals of survival.

The former Fulham boss enthused: “He’s everything what you want in your team, to be fair.

“Jefferson Lerma, when he crosses that line in an instant, you know what you're going to get.

“And he's a street fighter, he's got quality as well. He's got real desire to want to win games and we're going to need that.”

Lerma will reach the landmark of 150 games in a Cherries shirt if he makes an appearance against Manchester City at the weekend.

Out of his 149 games for the Dorset outfit so far, 64 have come in England’s top flight.

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