DOMINIC Solanke revealed a staff meeting about improving his record of headed goals played a key role in the first senior hat-trick of his career.

Solanke scored a brilliant treble at the City Ground as Cherries recorded a last-gasp 3-2 victory.

Two of the striker’s goals came via expertly-placed headers, which takes his Premier League tally for the season to 11 from 17 appearances, behind only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (14) and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (12) in the golden boot race.

Reflecting on his treble, the first he has managed in 249 professional matches, Solanke told BBC Radio Solent: “(It feels) tremendous. It’s my first one in senior football.

“I’ve been waiting on it for a while now. I’ve had a lot of braces, but never managed to get the third one. So to get it, I’m over the moon.

“And the way I got it as well makes it a lot better.”

He added: “I think I’m on a great run of form right now.

“But I’ve been building up to it. Throughout my career, even from youth, I’ve always loved scoring goals.

“It hasn’t always gone my way, but I feel at the moment I probably am the most confident I’ve been and probably playing some of my best football. Hopefully I can continue in this form.

“I feel so good and confident right now. Every game I’m trying to get a goal.

“The style of play this year helps me. We’ve got a great team and I think everyone knows the form I’m in.

“They know if they feed me, there’s a good chance I’ll score.  We’re doing so well as a team.”

Bournemouth Echo: Dominic Solanke scored his first senior hat-trick at the weekend

Asked if his winning goal at Forest was the best header of his career, Solanke replied: “It’s definitely up there, to be fair.

“It’s funny because I had a meeting with Tommy Elphick and Tom (Webber) the analysis guy on Friday, going through how I need to score more headers.

“As luck has it, I’ve scored two great headers. So thanks to them as well!

“They’re just showing me clips of some of the headers I’ve had and they just said that if I can score some more headers, it will add a lot more to my tally.

“I managed to get two, so that was great.”

According to stats on tranfermarkt.com, Solanke had only previously scored eight headers in his senior career, prior to his two at the City Ground.

Alongside Jarrod Bowen, Solanke is now the top scoring Englishman in the top flight this season, having netted more than the likes of Ollie Watkins and Eddie Nketiah, who have recently been called up by England.

Solanke himself has one England cap, which came under current boss Gareth Southgate, way back in 2017.

Asked if he thinks Southgate will have taken note of his recent form ahead of next summer’s Euros, Solanke said: “Yes, hopefully. Obviously I need to carry on throughout the season.

“The next international break is still a while away. I just need to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully at the end of the season, who knows?”

Discussing the calls for him to get back in the England squad, Solanke added: “That stuff always happens on social media, but I need to keep my head in the game.

“You can never get too high or too low, so I need to keep focused and hopefully we can get a few more points over the Christmas period.”