‘Doesn’t receive the respect’: Andoni Iraola shares what Luis Sinisterra is brilliant at which nobody realises

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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has highlighted Leeds United loanee Luis Sinisterra’s ‘aerial threat’ as an underrated part of his game.

Sinisterra was finally handed his first start in a Bournemouth shirt on Wednesday evening following a season-long-loan move from Leeds, with the Cherries earning a 2-0 win away at Crystal Palace.

After a difficult start on the South Coast, Sinisterra has began to be used more and more by Iraola from the bench, scoring away at Manchester City, and looking electric in the win over Newcastle United.

But Sinisterra was able to register his first assist of the season with a flick-on at the front post from a corner, which found his former Feyenoord teammate Marcos Senesi unmarked. Speaking to afcb.co.uk after the game, Iraola spoke of the Colombian’s unlikely aerial ability.

He said: “Sini started his first game today, he contributed in the first goal. I think Sini is an aerial threat, he looks so small and probably doesn’t receive the respect but he’s very good in training with his headers. We can use it very well and in the corner we scored against Newcastle he was the first one to touch it.”

Sinisterra starting to show his class

Sinisterra also displayed some of his aerial prowess in a Leeds shirt, when he headed home the opener against Leicester City back in April.

But as was typical with his time at Leeds, Sinisterra would then go onto get injured just a matter of minutes later in that game, which would bring an end to this season.

Iraola has gradually eased Sinisterra into the action at Bournemouth after raising concerns over his fitness earlier in the season, which has clearly worked given that he has not yet suffered any kind of injury.

And that is now really allowing him to show his quality in a Bournemouth shirt, who after a poor start to the season, are now well clear of the Premier League’s bottom three.

Bournemouth have an option-to-buy Sinisterra in the event Leeds do not get promoted. If Leeds do return to the Premier League, let’s be honest, he could be a huge asset.