ENES Unal believes “nice” Cherries are beginning to learn the importance of showing their “nasty” side, as he reflected on his first months at the club.

Unal joined Cherries on loan from Getafe in February, a move which will be made permanent in the summer.

Largely used as a substitute, the striker has featured 15 times, scoring in the Premier League against Sheffield United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Vitality Stadium.

Asked how he is finding life at Cherries, Unal told the club’s official matchday programme: “It’s great. First of all, the football we play is a lot of fun.

“It’s tiring and hard, it’s not easy to do, but it’s so much fun. The games always offer you something.

“There has only been one or two games where we had problems of creating, which isn’t just about us, but also how the opposition plays.

“It’s just been so much fun from the first day.

“The lads are amazing and the group is just so nice.

“I think sometimes we have had the problem also of being too nice, because the guys are so nice. But a couple of games (recently), we have started to get better at that.

“That’s a learning point, sometimes to get a little bit dirty and nasty.”

Bournemouth Echo: Enes Unal has made six substitute appearances in the Premier League since joining Cherries

For Unal, this is a second crack at football in England.

As a teenager, he joined Manchester City, but never played competitively for the first team, instead heading out on various loan spells before leaving permanently in 2017.

Now aged 26, the Turkey international feels he is better placed to make an impact in the Premier League.

Unal said: “I was a kid the last time at 18 years old. I didn’t have any idea about football or anything. I just knew how to score goals.

“I had a lot of things to learn. Physically I was never an athlete, so I needed to become the best athlete possible. I think I can still get better with that.

“Football intelligence is one of the things I like to use a lot, because I’m not the fastest guy, not the strongest, not the tallest, so I need to find ways.

“I get that with experience, practicing a lot and watching a lot of football. Learning and playing in different leagues, too.

“The most important thing is mentality. With all the experience of the games I’ve played, you get stronger and stronger mentally.”

He added: “I was really happy at Getafe. My wife and family loved living in Madrid and the club was great.

“The supporters loved me and we had a great connection.

“If you want to be comfortable though, you can stay in that situation for 10 years. But I always wanted something more in my career.

“When the idea here was explained to me and I knew the gaffer here, I saw the opportunity to keep pushing myself and getting better.”