CHERRIES youth team boss Joe Roach has paid tribute to Stephen Constantine who has left the club after being appointed coach to the Indian national side.

Constantine, who worked part-time at the Cherries Centre of Excellence last season and took charge of the club's under-15s, will lead India in the Asian Games in September.

The 39-year-old was invited to join the Cherries youth ranks following a chance meeting with Roach at a coaching course in Lilleshall after he had returned to England having spent two years as manager of the Nepal national team.

Roach said: "Stephen's commitment was superb. He travelled from the other side of Brighton twice a week to coach at the Centre of Excellence for not a great deal of financial return.

"He was well liked by the players and very open minded about his coaching ideas. This is a great opportunity for him and it's a full-time position which is something we were unable to offer him. You can't just create jobs for people and can only work with what you've got financially, but I'm sure if Stephen had stayed with us we probably would have given him a chance to work in a different environment.

"However, I understand he has been given a three-year contract and that will give him some security. He combined working with us with coaching at Chichester College and was living with his in-laws and was always looking for something a bit more permanent. "We would like to wish Stephen all the best with his new appointment and thank him for everything he did for the club during his year with us."

Constantine, who is due to take up his post later this month, is currently on holiday in Cyprus.

He told yesterday's News of the World: "This is a huge challenge and one that I relish. I have got to find a squad of 20 players from a country of one billion people."

Roach is due to start an FA Academy directors' licence course at Lilleshall today before attending an FA course for under-17 to under-21 coaches next week.