MIDFIELDER Joe Rothwell believes the competition for starting spots at Cherries “gives you a bit of a kick up the backside to perform every week.”

After arriving on a free transfer in the summer following his departure from Blackburn Rovers, Rothwell is currently enjoying his longest spell in the Cherries team, featuring in all but one of the previous 12 fixtures and starting the last four games.

Considering it took until October for the former Oxford United man to make his Cherries debut following a quad injury, it seemed like Rothwell would be a bit-part player this campaign.

The arrival of further players in January seemingly reduced his chances further, but since the end of the window, Rothwell has earnt the bulk of his minutes this campaign.

Asked if he took personal pride in earning a starting spot despite the influx of January signings, Rothwell told the Daily Echo: “Definitely.

“It was a tough start to the season for myself, especially picking up the injury and then coming back with a break and then it was basically starting all over again.

“But I always have I believe in myself.

“I knew if I got in, I could give the manager a headache and try and force my way into the side and stay there.

“Thankfully, at the moment, I've done that, but we’ve got some quality coming back now and the bench (against Fulham) was probably the strongest it’s been all season.

“It's a fight for us to even get into the 20 now.

“So I just go out there, give everything I've got every game and give the manager a headache.”

With all but two players returning from injury, head coach Gary O’Neil has the unenviable task of leaving out at least five members of the 27-strong first team squad for a Premier League game.

Rothwell continued: “Everyone's role fighting for the same goal at the end of the day, but internally, players coming back, it gives you a bit of a kick up the backside to perform every week.

“You know if you don't, there's someone there to come take that shirt and it drives everyone on.

“We've got a massive 10 games now to achieve what we want to achieve.”

Cherries are in action again on Tuesday evening, hosting Brighton at the Vitality Stadium.

“A brilliant team, fantastic with the ball,” began Rothwell.

“We went there earlier on in the season. We were unlucky, I thought.

“I felt we definitely deserved something out of the game and they just nicked it with one goal.

“We'll sit down, we'll look at what their strengths and weaknesses are and hopefully put a game plan together that can end in a positive result for ourselves.”