Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Full Nelson is over the Tottenham test
NEW recruit Mitchell Nelson believes he is quickly adjusting to life in the full-time ranks following his rise from non-league.[LNB] Nelson has responded in positive fashion following his baptism of fire against mighty Tottenham.[LNB] The 20-year-old was thrown in at the deep end in Cherries' opening friendly and endured a tough debut against the Premier League big guns.[LNB] Defender Nelson took his bow against a star-studded Spurs line-up just days after Eddie Howe's squad had returned for the start of pre-season.[LNB] And having since worked diligently at his game in training, signs of his rich potential have been in evidence during assured displays against Fulham and Derby.[LNB] Nelson, though, is unlikely to feature in a friendly against former club Tooting & Mitcham tonight (7.30pm) after picking up an ankle knock. The clash was arranged as part of the deal that saw the defender join Cherries on a three-year contract earlier this summer.[LNB] The Londoner told the Daily Echo: I'm enjoying every minute of it here and everybody has made me feel very welcome. I have been training hard and just getting used to training every day. It was only two days a week at Tooting so I'm reaping the benefits and feeling sharper.[LNB] It has been a learning curve for me and playing against world class players has been a great experience. Coming up against the likes of Modric and Pavlyuchenko can only stand you in good stead for a season in League One. It is something to get used to and you can't fail to learn from these players.[LNB] Nelson, a former Colchester trainee, last season lined up in the Premier Division of the Ryman League for Tooting and Mitcham where he honed a mule-like long throw.[LNB] I've just got long arms! laughed Nelson when asked about his secret weapon. I used it at Tooting and it was a threat because a lot of our goals came from it. I would launch it into the box and was like a non-league Rory Delap.[LNB] I've got some good memories of my time there, especially reaching the first round of the FA Cup.[LNB] Howe is expected to name a team largely made up of fringe players, first and second year apprentices and trialists at Imperial Fields.[LNB]
