GARY O’Neil believes he left Cherries this summer with his “head held high” after achieving what he set out do when appointed last term.

Despite being written off, O’Neil managed to keep Cherries in the Premier League with four games to spare.

Cherries sent shockwaves around the footballing world when they dismissed O’Neil seven months after appointing the rookie coach on a permanent basis, deciding to replace the former Portsmouth midfielder with current incumbent Andoni Iraola.

After two months out of the game, O’Neil was appointed manager of Wolves on the eve on the new campaign.

Fast forward 12 weeks into the 2023/24 season, and O’Neil and Wolves find themselves seven positions and eight points above Cherries in the league table.

Last Saturday, O’Neil oversaw a comeback win in his first visit back to the Vitality, Wolves winning 2-1 to stretch Cherries’ winless start to nine league games.

Whilst large swathes of the national press lambasted the decision to sack O’Neil, labelling it harsh, he himself stated that he did not agree, surmising: “That’s life.”

He explained in full: “The world of football maybe sees my departure from (Cherries) differently to what I did, I would guess, which I understand.

“I’m guessing consensus was probably, ‘Oh, that’s a harsh one’, where was I was like, ‘That’s life. I’ve had an opportunity, I’ve done the best I can with it.’

“What I set myself was to leave the club in a better place than I found it. I left with my head held high and I started my managerial career, and that’s all it is. There’s never any more than that.”

After impressing on an interim basis last term, O’Neil was somewhat surprisingly appointed as Scott Parker’s permanent replacement in November.

Julen Lopetegui’s shock departure from Wolves days before their season opener at Manchester United paved the way for O’Neil’s second job in the Premier League, which he admitted thought would come a bit later into the year.

“I didn’t really think about the level that I would be going in at, I just knew I was ready to go back in and I expected it to be winter,” the 40-year-old continued.

“I expected managers to start the season, some of them struggle, some of them do well, and then there would be an opportunity around now or the next few weeks.

“So the timing of it was a surprise. I know I’m capable of managing a big club, so I’m extremely grateful to Wolves because to give a young manager with only 10 months experience the reins is big belief and I’m hoping to repay them like I did when I was (at Cherries).

“I’m just working as hard as ever. Leave the office at half 10 at night, get in at seven o’clock in the morning, just in a different part of the country.”