 Thanks so much for doing this for us. Tell us about returning to training. How pleased are you to be back on the training? Couldn't be better Couldn't be better now really for me. I've really missed playing with my teammates I'm just playing football in general. So it was the best possible for me We saw a big grin on your face on the pictures that the club posted on the website What was involved in the first session and who were you with because it was only small groups, wasn't it? Yeah, we're in small groups Who was I with in the first training? I think with David Brooks who just returned from injury as well What other ones I don't even remember anymore Forgot everything I just I just I just looked at the ball Very enough tell us what sort of things you were doing then what what sort of track? What did training involve? Was it just fitness work or other stuff? Yeah, like fitness work Some ball some football work as well. So it's like combined and Yeah, just you know, you will always do some fitness work because yeah, everyone has been in lockdown So you need to get your fitness up back again, which is logical But it's like always combined with the ball so with with the finishing drill or something else and parting drill Yeah, all good and How different is it to a normal training day because you're not really allowed in the pavilion much You don't shower there or really there or how different is it? Yeah, it is a bit strange though to be honest like If the Bournemouth and the Premier League have done everything they could like to get the saves environment So you have 15 minutes preparation time. You will just come in your car We'll take your boots you go straight to the gym Not a lot of persons allowed to go to the pitch social distancing So there's a lot of things that you will need to keep in mind to make sure that you don't put anyone at risk But as soon as you come on the pitch, it's yeah, you know, you can better play football with social distancing Then don't play football at all. So for me, it's all good And can you still have all the the banter that you used to if there's a distance away? Were there still plenty of jokes flying around? Yeah, yeah, of course, of course, they won't ever leave Who who surprised you in your first group out? Who's got the did anyone come back with particularly wild hair or or haven't talking about a strange No, no, really to be honest, I'm the I think I took the Biggest change of all because I had a mess of Afro and I've shaped it all off to be honest, so It's short now. So That that yeah, that's a huge difference So besides that I think more players like shave the hair off instead of that they let the hair grow So they're looking more like like like, you know, instead of Instead of like a caveman or something else. I've noticed this. So I've set a trend Yeah, and this is this is entirely by choice Even during the lockdown you didn't think I'll let some air grow. No, no, no, no, no It would be very embarrassing No, no, I like it. It's good. Thanks Mike. What about what about your fitness house? How's your foot injury fully recovered? Yeah, yeah, yeah, so that's the positive thing of this virus. Yeah, like we have some injuries as well Just in general at the whole squad. So if you wanted to fit and hungry as well So that includes me on a hundred percent fit and I'm hoping to stay fit I'm doing everything I can to stay fit. So I think it's Yeah, we'll keep you fit our fingers crossed for you as well How how frustrating was it the two spells out you had during the season? Yeah, I just thought someone else as well. It's like it's difficult to put that into words especially with my personality and my character like football is everything for me like just Practicing it every day. That's what really makes me happy. So just being unable to do that It's like it's really really frustrating for me and What's frustrating as well as like every clip I went to every transfer I made like the first season I came that I always Yeah, you always like to leave a mark. I should play from the first moment. You are that So I was planning on doing that as well here and yeah for saving if things don't turn out that way but That's how life works. That's how football works. I mean you can Yeah Not always can everything go and not everything and not everything can always go as you want So you just need to gather just work and make the best out of it How easy was it to cope with though, particularly that first one right at the start of the season after after a good preseason? Yeah, really frustrating really frustrating. I came to FC Bournemouth. We played against Olympique Lyon We won 3-0. I played a good game The gaffer was buzzing So I was really looking forward to playing and then yes to get out with an injury. It's the worst thing possible And in a new country, are you living on your own as well? I mean how how difficult is it then and now in lockdown as well when you when you're stuck on your own Without your family and friends around Yeah, to be honest for me, I don't really mind being alone Yeah, it's all right, I'll enjoy myself But my mother is in the UK as well with my little sister, so They were during lockdown. They were here with me. So that helped a lot. I mean she cooks for me She washed my clothes and stuff like that for the help For the help and Besides that even if I'm on my own I always manage I like to do things on my own as well read books. I watch a lot of movies on Netflix and I'll get by Fair enough and everyone's itching for football to return Are you are you itching even more than most though? Because like you said you want to leave a mark You want to prove that you belong in this league Yeah, definitely. Definitely. It has really been bothering me as I said before that I couldn't really prove myself immediately from the start of the season and Yeah, I'm just very hungry and very eager to prove myself that yeah that I have the quality to take what it What it takes to prove myself in the Premier League and obviously show my teammates and the stuff That believes in me because they brought me here to yeah, like how do I say proper like paying them back that's what I believe in me So I'm very eager and and hungry to do that Yeah, and you could leave quite a mark if you if you helped big time in these final nine games and Kept born within the Premier League. What would that means? Yeah No, the world everything now I'm planning on doing that Now I'm doing everything everything everything I can I already did everything I could but I'm even doing more than I can now So I'm really looking forward to the to the remaining games. Yeah, and the training has been good so far. I feel good and I'm feeling fit so Yeah, the future of the biocomic and how else you mentioned movies and Your mom doing the cooking and stuff. How else did you fill your time in in lockdown? You still doing the Arabic lessons? Yeah, yeah, as well as well as well as well But I'm doing I've been doing them online now, but I've been still doing my Arabic lessons I bought some new books. I've been reading the autobiography of Mike Tyson now. I've ordered the book from Muhammad Ali now watching Michael Michael Jordan the last dance so There's always there's always something to do. I've just watched the document area was money than Billy as well. So There's always something to Tell me about that drive and determination that Michael Jordan's been showing the the real will to win You said that you're absolutely determined to make this mark But are you learning anything from one of the greats of sport of all time and his attitude watching that series? Yeah, definitely, you can everyone can learn from from the biggest athletes in the world Yeah, he's right. It's just something else. It basically makes you feel bad like Even when I watch the the series just made me feel bad like it just made me realize that even I thought that I was doing everything I could but there's always more you can do so now it's always good to Yeah, to like give your your mind and your Your thoughts on freshness and make sure that you aim for the best The best things possible Oh, good stuff, and I should have long before now wish you is it Ramadan Mubarak? Is that what you do? Is that what I should have said house? How's Ramadan been for you in your first one in Bournemouth and with all the trade you've had to do and the fasting Great great to be honest really Always after that I finish the Ramadan. I can really feel that my body has improved physically wise so I've been training now as well without eating and drinking and It's nearly done. I've been doing it for a month now And I can really feel that my body is getting stronger and my concentration level is getting a lot better So uh, every year every year if the Ramadan comes it's for me It's like a blessing as well because of like really we set my body and Get my fitness like back up as well Oh, it's been terrific talking to you on or Very impressed with your devotion to drive and I look forward to seeing you in these final nine games Thank you. Thank you. Thank you likewise. Thank you very much