Eddie Had A Dream: Reserve team manger, the job's yours Eddie

The end of Eddie Howe's playing career came abruptly at the start of 2007, even though he kept his boots available until the summer. He was already coaching and Kevin Bond decided to that Eddie Howe's new career could really get going now that his playing career was over.

Extract from Eddie Had A Dream
Chapter 5. A modern coach
Kevin Bond was clearly pleased with the way Eddie took to coaching, because in June 2007 he offered Eddie and Rob Newman new contracts. The one-year contract for Eddie made him reserve team manager. Eddie had only announced the end to his playing career a week earlier, but had been on the coaching staff for six months. Howe’s calm manner with the younger players was just what the club needed. ‘To get the best out of young players, they need to be given freedom to play, rather than expecting someone to snap at them for every mistake they make.’ Howe said. ‘That’s what I try and do. The approach at reserve level is to say go out there to impress me and show me what you can do......’

The job offer to Eddie Howe at the time might not have seemed that enlightened, but if the club had not managed to retain his services at this transitional period, the club would never have had the success that was to follow. Eddie Howe certainly wasn’t thinking about the new contract leading to anything more long term. Asked if he thought he could one day become Bournemouth’s manager he said, ’I honestly haven’t thought about it. I’m doing this job to the best of my ability. You cannot worry about the future, you just have to wait and see what happens.’

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 Yet, Eddie wasn’t ruling himself of rising to the challenge one day. Eddie knew it would not be an easy job to do, but you can tell that he liked the prospect with the humour of his replies to any such suggestions. ‘I’ve seen how Kevin works behind the scenes and so far, it hasn’t put me off. I know what would be required, but it’s another thing going out there and doing it… It’s a big workload being a manger and it’s a very hard job to do properly. But I’m told it’s a lot better if you win on Saturday.’

Eddie Had A Dream is now out on paperback £13.49 and as an ebook £9.99 from Amazon/Kindle. Simply enter Eddie Had A Dream in the search field to find the books. The book should take you back to a few memories of AFC Bournemouth and years when Eddie Howe was developing as a player and then a coach. If you do buy a copy, don't forget to leave a review.

The £13.49 paperback version of the book is now available on Amazon/Kindle - click on this link

To order your £9.99 ebook copy of Eddie Had A Dream - click on this link

If you want more of a sneak preview, listen to my snippet in the video below when Eddie Howe is appointed manager having previously been youth and reserve team manager: