MIDFIELD star Philip Billing revealed how he had taken young duo Jaidon Anthony and Jordan Zemura under his wing at Cherries and insisted: “They are two unbelievable footballers.”

Anthony and Zemura both burst onto the scene at Vitality Stadium last season, playing key roles alongside Billing as the Dorset club sealed promotion to the Premier League.

The trio have each gone on to feature in the top flight this campaign, helping Gary O’Neil’s charges sit 14th in the league pile amid the World Cup break.

Anthony and Zemura revealed the moniker ‘Uncle Phil’ had come about when speaking about Billing last season.

Asked how the nickname stuck, 26-year-old Billing told the Daily Echo: “Yeah, I don’t know where it’s come from!

“It’s just something when they first came through – their first season. I tried to take them under my wing.

“Some big games in the Championship. Tough games in a tough league, so I was just trying to help them and do what I could.

“Us three were enjoying ourselves, playing well together. I think it just came out of that. It got the confidence up.

“They are two unbelievable footballers – they can go a long way, both of them, so they just have to keep working hard.”

Billing has set the example on the pitch for Cherries this season, being involved in every Premier League contest, while scoring four times and registering one assist.

Asked how much the Dane had helped him as a young player, winger Anthony said: “He’s been excellent for me personally and I think Jordan would say the same.

“He is like a father figure in terms of we came in last season and we hadn’t played too many games before that.

“He was just so helpful on and off the pitch and has been a big part of our success.”

With Billing left out of Denmark’s World Cup squad, which exited the competition on Wednesday, he will be working towards Cherries’ next competitive game when they take on Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, December 21.