#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admires Chris Mepham for good performance against Leicester City #AFCB

Having played a bit-part role for much of last season, Mepham was a key figure for Cherries during the early months of this campaign. He missed just eight minutes of the club’s first 14 Premier League matches of this campaign, also penning a new contract in September, tying him to the club until 2025. However, following the World Cup break, during which time Mepham competed with Wales in Qatar, he has found himself in and out of the side. That culminated in a four-game run across March and April where the centre-back played no minutes, not even making the bench for games against Fulham and Brighton. Jack Stephens and Marcos Senesi have been the preferred defensive pair, with January signing Illia Zabarnyi the cover on the bench. But following an injury to Senesi, Mepham was brought out of the cold and straight back into action, impressing in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Leicester City, with a couple of vital defensive interventions. Discussing the 25-year-old’s performance at King Power Stadium, after his spell watching from the stands, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “It is because of his reaction to being left out really. “We had everyone fit, pretty much, and we’re going to have to leave two big players out from squads at that moment. “It happened to be Meps for a number of reasons – tactical, what the opposition might bring, some of the other balance that we needed. “He reacted excellently from that moment. “He trained incredibly well last week and the way he approached it sort of made my decision for me (on Saturday), with who we put in to replace Marcos. “You only get a performance (on Saturday) like that if you’ve done the work. “Meps has kept himself ready and when his opportunity has come, he’s able to show what a good player he is.” Cherries climbed out of the relegation zone with victory at Leicester, the fourth time they have collected maximum points in their last eight fixtures. Asked what the mood was like in the dressing room at full-time on Saturday, O’Neil said: “They’re happy in there, they’re enjoying themselves. “A few cups a tea, a bit of music on. They’re having a good time!” “The lads have won four of the last eight games in the Premier League, so they’re in a good spot.” Cherries return to action on Saturday, with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur (3pm).