ANDY PLOY BY CHERRIES TO STOP CARROLL

BOURNEMOUTH called club legend Steve Fletcher out of retirement last week so he can be “Andy Carroll” in training.

Boss Eddie Howe had been searching for a way to replicate the threat of West Ham’s physical, 6ft 4in England striker.

Marksman Fletch (below) is 6ft 2in and Carroll’s body double. He is also the club’s all-time record appearance holder, with 628 games for the Cherries, and scored the goal that kept them in the Football League and kickstarted the dream rise to the Premier League. The 44-year-old is a good man to call on. Left-back Charlie Daniels, who visits West Ham today, said: “We have utilised Big Fletch this week. He loves to get involved. He comes in the same type of mould and if we can use a coach to do something like that, then we will do.

“Fletch doesn’t hold back and even in training there have been some challenges going on, and we need that when we come up against players like Andy Carroll.

“He brings a physical presence, he’s big, he’s strong and very good in the air.

“We have to cut the supply to him. If we can nullify his strength it will take out his game. You speak about Andy Carroll, but they have so much quality in their side and now with more depth.

“They have Dimitri Payet, Mark Noble, Cheikhou Kouyate, who is very strong, you could go through the whole of that team.”

The Cherries will be the first Premier League side to visit the Olympic Stadium.

The defender said: “It has been a long time coming for them. They could have sold Upton Park twice or three times over, with the fan base they have.

“Going into the new stadium is going to make a great atmosphere and everyone connected to that club will be very excited.

“It is going to be a different atmosphere to Upton Park, but they will have double the fans. “But it is up to us to ruin the party.” East End boy Daniels grew up around the corner from Stratford.

He said: “It’s very special for me to play the first Premier League game there.

“I have a lot of friends and family coming to the game – a lot of them are West Ham fans.”