IN HIS second exclusive column in the Daily Echo, Cherries star Charlie Daniels writes about the Donate To NHS initiative, his injury rehab, Philip Billing on FIFA and the impact of Yann Kermorgant.

Hello everyone, I hope you are all safe and well. Please enjoy this week’s column.

Bradley Johnson, who plays for Blackburn Rovers alongside former Nottingham Forest striker Dexter Blackstock, has teamed up to buy essential equipment for key workers in the NHS using their own money along with charitable donations from the public.

They have had over 200 donations on their website which can be found at donatetonhs.com, which means they have raised over £19,000 already.

They are hoping to raise £1million by the end of May and, while they are only supplying face masks at the moment, they are looking to also purchase aprons, gloves and other vital equipment to donate.

This is another great cause and knowing your donation is going directly to the key workers that need it the most is a wonderful feeling.

I have known Bradley since we were young as we grew up in the same town and played for the same Sunday league club for a number of years.

He and Dexter are doing an incredible job and they are making sure the smaller hospitals and care homes are not getting overlooked.

The NHS needs every bit of help at the moment and these donations are certainly making a big difference to peoples’ lives!

As for me, this week has been another progression in my rehab stage. I feel close to running on the grass again which is a big milestone but when I can do that at the training ground, who knows?

I have been doing a lot of indoor bike sessions over the last couple of months, all various times or distances along with strength exercises and now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel along with the smell of the grass!

There is no better feeling for a footballer who has had a long-term injury to get back outside and running on a pitch. Footballers are normally impatient when being so close to the next phase in rehab and I’ve seen many people break down as they try too soon and the body isn’t ready.

This is why I have to listen to the advice of the physios and understand how my body is feeling before going too far ahead.

There’s a machine at the training ground which, after a few tests, can tell you how much muscle power difference you have between each leg.

Ideally, it is best to have a 50-50 power output (I’m guessing) but whether that is the case for most footballers I couldn’t tell you. I’m sure I will have to complete this test before I can run on the pitch again, so I will let you all know my score.

Bournemouth Echo:

This week we also had the FIFA 20 ePremier League Invitational, where a team member or a celebrity represented their side in a FIFA 2020 knockout tournament.

The eventual winner was Diogo Jota of Wolves, who beat Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool with a late golden goal.

Our representative, Philip Billing, started off the tournament with a 4-0 thumping against Southampton who were represented by Angus Gunn.

Unfortunately, Philip was beaten in his second game against Neal Maupay of Brighton 4-2 with some questionable decisions from the referee – or that’s what Phil said anyway!

Bournemouth Echo:

I wanted to write a little piece about a big player in our club’s rise who has retired this past week.

Big Yann Kermorgant, who came to the club from Charlton Athletic, was a not only a great player but also a great person.

Yann was a totally different striker to ones I had played with previously.

He was a target man by looks, but he possessed a quality touch and control along with unbelievable athleticism (who can forget his acrobatic goal against Ipswich?!).

He instantly gelled with all the players and got goals as early as his full debut with a hat-trick against Doncaster Rovers.

He was a vital player in our Championship-winning season and I want to pass on all my best to him for whatever the future holds. I hope to see him at the Vitality Stadium again soon!

Bournemouth Echo:

I’ve been sent a few questions to answer, so thank you and please keep them coming!

Which player is the most skilful in the club? From Guy Pascall.

I would have to say Junior Stanislas, Josh King or Arnaut Danjuma.

Who is the hardest player you have come up against in your career? From Nick James.

The game that comes to mind was against Real Madrid.

We had just been promoted to the Championship that season and to play against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil etc was definitely one of the hardest.

That game really shaped the way we went about training and matches going forward. They set the standard to what we wanted to achieve.

Hi Charlie, I miss talking to you, I miss football from your number one supporter. From Sheila Marsh.

I miss you too Sheila! I hope you are well and can’t wait to see you around the Vitality Stadium once again.

If you have any questions that you would like me to answer or anything you would like me to write about, please send them to:

Stay safe,

Charlie Daniels.