HARRY Wilson revealed he has had to change his free-kick technique this season – and says he has used superstar Lionel Messi as inspiration for his wonder-strikes.

The Welshman smashed in a stunning 25-yard set-piece in defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, his second goal already for Cherries having also netted from distance against Aston Villa.

Wilson arrived on loan from Liverpool this summer having shone in the Championship with Derby County during 2018-19, where he netted 18 goals, many of which came from outside the penalty area.

But the 22-year-old says he has had to alter his strike with the top-flight Nike footballs.

Discussing his free-kick technique, Wilson said: “I’ve had to change it a little bit because I feel the Mitre balls (in the Championship) compared to the Premier League balls are a lot different, so I can’t quite get the movement that I like to get on them.

“I’ve tried to change it up a little bit in pre-season and the start of this season so to see that one fly in on Sunday makes the practicing all worthwhile.”

He added: “I feel that when a game is tight or you’re not getting many chances, a free-kick can give you a free shot.

“It’s always something I’ve tried to practice so when the chance comes, I’ve got a good chance of scoring.”

Asked if he looks to emulate any other players’ free-kicks, Wilson said: “I think as I’ve got older Messi is a player I’ve always looked up to and I think his free-kick record, especially in recent years, has been unbelievable.

“I suppose I watch him but he’s more of a curler technique. The one against Man City was a little bit further out, so I tried to do a bit of both – a bit of whip on it and to try and get the power as well.

“I just try and practice from different areas and try and perfect that.”

He added: “We know we’ve got great finishers from in and around the box, but if I can add a few from outside that’s just going to bode well for the team.”

Cherries head to Leicester City on Saturday (3pm), looking to continue their perfect start on the road this campaign having already beaten Aston Villa.

And Wilson believes that win at Villa Park will give the squad a boost when they return to the Midlands.

“I think we have to be (confident),” he said.

“We went to Villa, tough place, newly-promoted team and did well. So we’ll be looking to take that into Leicester and try and get the three points.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game. They play some great football, they’ve got a great manager with great players so we know it’s going to be a tough place to go.

“But I think there’s a lot of positives we can take from Sunday’s game, so we’ll go there full of confidence looking to get a positive result.”