SHAUN Cooper has detailed Brett Pitman’s role at Cherries – with the former goalscorer passing on his finishing tricks to academy players.

During his loan spell with Eastleigh, Pitman came in and helped to coach the under-12s, although now he is frequently on the touchline for under-21 fixtures.

One of the best finishers in the club’s history, with 102 goals in 301 games for the club, Pitman appears to be a natural choice to pass on tips and tricks of the trade to Cherries’ young stars.

Currently combining his coaching alongside playing part-time with AFC Portchester in the Wessex League, Pitman’s work rate has not got unnoticed by former teammate Shaun Cooper.

Cooper told the Daily Echo: “Brett has come in to work across the whole academy, so he's a bit of a specialist coach.

“His title was that he worked with the strikers across all the age groups.

“But such is his football intelligence, he's a lot more than just a striker coach.

“He's got a really good eye. He loves football, loves the game.

“So he’s developing nicely and he's got a great work ethic as well, which is important.