Rothwell keen to kick on

Rothwell has been restricted to 12 appearances in all competitions, including ten in the Premier League, since signing from Blackburn Rovers in the summer.

A combination of injury and illness have hampered the 28-year-old who made his second start in the top flight during the Cherries’ eventful 3-2 defeat by Arsenal last week.

Despite finishing on the losing side at the Emirates, one personal consolation for Rothwell was providing his first Premier League assist, Marcos Senesi heading home his corner to make it 2-0.

In an interview with BBC Radio Solent, Rothwell was asked by Kris Temple about his debut season with the Cherries: “It’s been tough. It’s been a bit of a stop-start season in terms of injuries and stuff.

“Coming to a new club, you don’t expect to walk into the team but the injuries set me back a lot.

“I had an illness that set me back and, thankfully, the break came at a time when we managed to get away and re-set. Hopefully now, it’s time to kick on and play as many games as I can.

“You’ve got to do everything you can each day to try to catch the gaffer’s eye in training. If other players are unavailable, he knows you’re ready to come in. I hope I’ve given him a headache and can keep that spot.”

Asked about trying to get the Arsenal defeat out of his system, Rothwell said: “It was tough. I’m not going to lie, I felt a bit sick after the game for a good while. I don’t think I’ve ever conceded a goal as late as that.

“I think we can take positives out of it. It’s probably a bit easier because we played well and maybe should have got something out of the game.

“I suppose it would be a bit different if it had been a tough afternoon in terms of our performance. I felt we definitely deserved something out of it and we can take the way we played into the next game.”