ONE week from today, Andoni Iraola is set to meet his new squad when Cherries return for pre-season testing.

It is the start of a new era for both the club and Iraola, with a large sense of anticipation and intrigue at what may lie ahead.

Iraola, a fluent English speaker, spent the majority of his playing career just a few miles from his place of birth, playing more than 500 games for Athletic Bilbao.

Before retiring, the right-back opted for a change, making the leap to live and play abroad for the first time, joining New York City.

He joined the club for their first ever MLS campaign, signing at the same time as the likes of midfield legends Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard.

Iraola made 40 appearances for the club, before retiring in November 2016.

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Reflecting on his spell Stateside, Iraola told The Coaches Voice: “To go to New York was undoubtedly the right decision.

“Not only because I got to know a different competition – one not as competitive as La Liga, although still a very good quality – but also because I had the opportunity to live in Manhattan. Right at the heart of the city.

“I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. It was a very different way to experience all that surrounds a football team.

“At Bilbao, you feel like you have a lot of responsibility because everybody – all the players, staff, everyone – is very much an Athletic fan. That was completely different in New York.”

Iraola’s second season in New York was played under Patrick Vieira as boss.

“I had a period of adaptation at first, but I had my whole second season with Patrick Vieira as my coach, which was a joy,” he said.

“On the pitch, it was a huge individual change for me. I didn’t have the legs to carry on as a full-back, which is the position I had played throughout my career, so I switched to playing in defensive midfield. That was Patrick’s decision.

“I had Andrea Pirlo in front of me, Frank Lampard a few metres ahead, and David Villa as a striker. Quite something, right?

“It was very different from what I had experienced at Athletic. He also used his experience as a midfielder to help me.

“In the end, playing as a defensive midfielder is about trying to balance any possible mismatches that occur during the game. And I was very happy to do that.

“That new perspective on the game also had another consequence: it led me to think about becoming a coach.

“It’s true that I still had plenty of doubts, especially because it is a job that requires many sacrifices – family being the most important of all – but at least now I knew I wanted to try it.

“Outside of football, my interest in coaching was also there when I became more aware of the NFL, which I have been a follower of ever since.

“I see American football as a sort of extension of the set-pieces we have in our game. The blocking, the clearances, the overloads.

“The players are also very specialised in their roles, with a coach for each position.

“Soccer is not quite there yet, but it is progressing by the day. Surely, soon, we will get to see a coach for each position, just like in the NFL.

“So, New York City – the club and the city itself – ended up being the prelude to everything that came after. The starting point of a new path.”