PENNING the final chapter to the Steve Fletcher fairytale could guarantee a best seller for Cherries’ super hero.

The Peter Pan of Dean Court has already gathered enough material to produce an intriguing insight into the career of a lower-league footballer.

Despite his advancing years, the 38-year-old still feels he has some unfinished business to attend to – a sign-off that would certainly make for compelling reading.

“Walking out for a game in the Championship would cap it all,” said Fletcher, who reached his latest landmark when he notched his 100th league goal for Cherries at Peterborough on Friday.

“It is the one thing I have never done with AFC Bournemouth and is the missing piece of the jigsaw. It would be my dream to do that next season.

“It is the highest level that I realistically believe I could play at and perhaps you could say the same for the club.

“I have played at Wembley and the Millennium Stadium and have been fortunate enough to reach a few milestones at the club. I have even got a stand named after me!

“I have achieved almost everything I could have wished for when I was younger and winning promotion to the Championship would top it off perfectly.”

Elevated to the position of assistant manager following Eddie Howe’s departure to Burnley, Fletcher, unlike boss Lee Bradbury, opted against hanging up his boots.

His decision has been vindicated with the striker continuing to prove his worth as Cherries have kept up with some of the more fancied horses in the League One promotion race.

Not for the first time this season, Fletcher’s latest contribution saw him come off the bench to spark a dramatic revival at Peterborough, his second-half goal pivotal to them claiming a 3-3 draw.

“Although I am on the management side, I want to keep playing,” said Fletcher. “But it is secondary now to the team. It is great when I can help on the pitch and I am enjoying this season as much as any other.

“I have always said I will keep playing as long as I feel I can make a difference, whether that is starting or from the bench. I will know when the time comes that I am not making an impact.

“I don’t think I am any different now than I was at 30 and have never run around like an idiot. I am more experienced and have learned to conserve my energy.”

Released by Kevin Bond in 2007, Fletcher spent a season with Chesterfield before dropping into the non-league ranks with Crawley Town.

He added: “I feel my form has been as good, if not better, than during my first spell here. While I was away, I realised the importance of every game. Now, I take every game as if it could be my last.

“When you are younger, you don’t think like that. I had good times at Chesterfield and Crawley but I began to appreciate what I had lost. Sometimes, it takes something like that to make you a better player and a better person.”

Boss Bradbury’s description of Fletcher is echoed by the majority of Cherries supporters: “He is one in a million.”

Bradbury added: “He keeps coming off the bench and changing games for us. He gave us a different dimension at Peterborough and they didn’t know how to handle him. He scored a great goal and got us back in the game. He has been brilliant for me and deserves all the credit he gets.”