MARC Pugh revealed how clinching promotion to the Premier League with Cherries had fulfilled his childhood ambitions and added: “It was absolutely incredible.”

Five years ago today, the legendary Cherries winger fired home the opener as Eddie Howe’s men famously all-but sealed their place in the top flight with a 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers.

On one of the most famous nights at Dean Court, Pugh gathered a cross from Matt Ritchie at the back post, before shifting the ball onto his left foot and rifling into the far corner.

His goal, followed by strikes from Ritchie and Callum Wilson, sparked jubilant scenes on the pitch, in the dressing room and throughout the town as Eddie Howe’s men reached the Premier League for the first time.

And, speaking on Adam Carter’s Inside The Mind podcast, the Bacup-born star, signed from Hereford for £100,000 in 2010, reflected on the club’s heroic rise to English football’s elite level.

“It was absolutely incredible,” said Pugh.

“I had been through a lot with the football club – I signed in League One, when the club was on a turning point. We were on the up a little bit.

“To score that goal against Bolton – obviously you’ve got to work hard and nothing is set in stone – but we were going into games thinking ‘right, how many we going to win this by?’.

“We were that confident and we had that much belief in our abilities that we were going to achieve promotion.

“That evening when we clinched promotion, it just brings back everything that you have been through, because that’s all I wanted to do.

“As a young boy from four years old I started kicking a football. I wanted to play in the Premier League and test myself against the best in the world. We knew when we beat Bolton we were going to achieve that. What an amazing night that was. The town was buzzing, we went out to celebrate afterwards.

“The feeling was surreal really. It didn’t really sink in, probably until when we clinched the title by beating Charlton and all those celebrations.

“It was just an amazing couple of weeks to see the smiles on peoples faces, what it meant to the town and that’s what football is all about.

“As a player, you want to put smiles on fans’ faces, do yourself justice and be the best you can be as an individual.”

Now at Championship outfit Queen’s Park Rangers, Pugh scored 56 goals in 312 appearances and achieved two promotions with the Dorset club.

He credited boss Eddie Howe, assistant Jason Tindall and the rest of the coaching staff for instilling a positive mindset throughout the club.

Pugh added: “It takes a lot belief and a lot of confidence and that comes from the gaffer and his coaching staff. Eddie, Jason – the philosophy is absolutely amazing.

“You need to have a good mental side, you need to be mentally strong but the main thing is hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

“Most players in that team came from League Two, League One when we rose up the leagues.

“Everyone was just chomping at the bit to be successful and achieve something. That’s still the case to this day.”