The 42-year-old manager admitted it was a big loss to his side to lose their top scorer so close to the start of this season but he’s happy the player is doing well with his new club and has broken back into the England squad.

He told FourFourTwo magazine: “It was always a strong possibility that he’d leave.

“Not after just the goals that he scored, but the performances he had last season. He was so consistent.

“He wasn’t called up for the Euros, and that didn’t really help us – it made it harder to convince Dom to stay.

“There’s part of you as a coach where obviously you don’t want to lose him because your job becomes harder.

“But there’s a part of you that wants him to go to a higher level, to do well and get the recognition he deserves.

“Even though he plays for Spurs, we’re all still cheering for him and we’re glad he’s back in the national team.”

And Iraola admitted losing the player has been a “challenge” for all at Bournemouth.

He added: “It’s a challenge for us all. We have to replace not just his goals but everything he gave to us with different kinds of players. Everyone has to contribute.

“Now we’re a different team. Worse? Better? We will see. But a different team, certainly.”