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In an exclusive conversation, Bournemouth icon Steve Fletcher has expressed deep admiration for the club’s new manager, Marco Rose, following his arrival on the south coast.

Marco Rose, who previously managed three different clubs in the UEFA Champions League, has taken charge at Bournemouth this summer — a move that highlights the remarkable progress the club has made in recent years.

The German coach, known for leading Red Bull Salzburg to the Europa League semi-finals before taking the reins at Borussia Monchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig, is arguably one of the highest-profile appointments in Bournemouth’s history.

After Bournemouth achieved a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season, Andoni Iraola announced in April that he would depart at the end of the campaign, later accepting the Liverpool job. Rose subsequently agreed to step in as his successor.

In an unusual transition, Rose was able to meet with Iraola after the season concluded. The outgoing manager willingly shared insights to ensure the club’s continued success under new leadership.

During his visit in May, Rose impressed many within the club with his professionalism and personable nature.

Among those he met was Bournemouth legend Steve Fletcher, who joined the club in 1992 and played for 19 years, famously scoring the goal that kept the Cherries from dropping into non-league football in 2009. Fletcher, now serving as club ambassador, recalled his first impressions of Rose.

“Marco came in right at the end of the season – he met Andoni and they gave each other a big hug, which I thought was lovely, because it doesn’t happen a lot at clubs,” Fletcher told FFT.

“After the final match of the season, he spent a couple of days meeting people and getting used to his surroundings.

“He met the sporting director Tiago Pinto and other key members of the club, but what stood out was that he didn’t only interact with the top brass — he took the time to talk to everyone, from the grounds staff to the accounts department, the media team, and even the kitchen staff. It wasn’t just a polite hello; he genuinely engaged with them. He’s a terrific person.”

Fletcher continued, “He wanted to learn about the club’s history, and he already knew a lot about Bournemouth. Tiago told me, ‘He wants to meet you.’ I thought, ‘Why would he want to meet me? There are more important people than me!’ But I suppose it’s the 34 years I’ve spent with this football club.”

“When I met him, it felt like I’d known him forever. He has that aura, that charisma that makes people instantly comfortable, and he listens – he doesn’t just go through the motions.”

“He’d clearly done his research. He knew about our history, how close we came to disappearing as a club several times, and how we fought our way up to the Premier League – the real fairytale story. Anyone who shows that level of interest and does their homework deserves immediate respect.”

Fletcher was speaking during the unveiling of MrQ as Bournemouth’s new official sleeve partner. To commemorate the partnership, a striking display was created on Bournemouth beach, where hundreds of towels were laid out to form a massive mosaic symbolising the start of the Rose era.

“They were there from around 4am, laying down over 230 towels in a prime location beside Bournemouth Pier. With so many tourists flocking to the beach in this heat, it was a fantastic way to draw attention,” Fletcher said.

“It really was quite a sight – I don’t think many people have ever seen that many towels placed together on the beach at once.”

“I hadn’t been down on the beach so early in the morning for years – probably not since those gruelling pre-season training sessions in the 90s, running up and down the sand dunes!”

MrQ has become the new Official Sleeve Partner of AFC Bournemouth. To celebrate, the brand unveiled ‘Reserved for MrQ’ – a giant towel mosaic on Bournemouth Beach, inspired by the British tradition of reserving the best beach spot with a towel, marking the beginning of the Marco Rose era. For more details, visit www.mrq.com.