Eddie Howe · Biography

In March 2002 Harry Redknapp signed centre-back Eddie Howe for Portsmouth from AFC Bournemouth for £400,000. The move was meant to take his playing career up a level, but a knee injury suffered on his debut, against Preston North End, started a run of setbacks that ended with his retirement in 2007 and turned him towards the dugout. Born on 29 November 1977 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Howe went on to manage Bournemouth, Burnley and Newcastle United, winning the Championship in 2015 and the League Cup in 2025.

Youth and Bournemouth playing career

Howe came through local sides Phoenix Sports, later renamed Verwood Town, and Parley Sports before joining the Bournemouth youth system. He made his first-team debut in December 1995 against Hull City and settled in the centre of defence, making 200 league appearances and scoring 10 goals in a spell that lasted until 2002. He was part of the side that reached the Football League Trophy final in 1998, finishing as runners-up, and that same year England Under-21s called him up for the Toulon Tournament, where he collected two caps at that level.

Portsmouth, injuries and retirement

His time at Fratton Park amounted to two league appearances. After the injury on his debut, Howe damaged the same knee in the opening game of the 2002-03 season against Nottingham Forest and missed the whole campaign. He was not fully fit again until January 2004, and a deadline-day loan to Swindon Town in March of that year brought no appearances. In 2004 he went back to Bournemouth, first on loan and then permanently, with supporters raising £21,000 towards the fee through a scheme nicknamed “Eddieshare”. Knee problems forced him to stop in 2007, after 272 league games and 12 goals over his career. By then he had already been made player-coach in December 2006, in charge of the reserves.

First spell as Bournemouth manager

Howe lost his coaching role in September 2008 when Kevin Bond was dismissed, but returned as caretaker on 31 December 2008 after Jimmy Quinn was sacked. On 19 January 2009 he was appointed on a permanent basis, becoming the youngest manager in the Football League at the time. Bournemouth had begun that League Two season with a 17-point deduction, and he kept them up. On 24 April 2010 a 2-0 win at Burton Albion sealed promotion to League One. In January 2011, after 102 matches in charge, he left for Burnley.

Burnley and the return to Dean Court

Burnley appointed him on 16 January 2011 on a three-and-a-half-year deal, and his first match was a goalless draw at Scunthorpe six days later. He spent almost two seasons at Turf Moor before leaving in October 2012 for personal reasons, with 34 wins from 87 games. That same month he returned to Bournemouth. On 20 April 2013 the club clinched promotion to the Championship as runners-up, a point behind Doncaster Rovers, and in 2014-15 they won the title, confirming promotion with a 3-0 win at Charlton on 2 May 2015. It was the first time Bournemouth had reached the top flight. Howe was named LMA Manager of the Year for 2015. In the Premier League his side finished 16th, 9th, 12th and 14th before relegation in 2020; on 1 August that year he left by mutual consent.

Newcastle United

After turning down Celtic in May 2021, Howe was appointed Newcastle head coach on 8 November 2021, replacing Steve Bruce. A positive COVID-19 test kept him away from his first match, a 3-3 draw with Brentford, and the team avoided relegation to finish 11th. In 2022-23 Newcastle reached the League Cup final, losing 2-0 to Manchester United on 26 February 2023, and on 22 May 2023 they secured a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. That European campaign in 2023-24 ended in the group stage despite a 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain, while in the league the team finished seventh with 85 goals, a club record.

League Cup win and departure

On 16 March 2025 Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 in the League Cup final at Wembley, with goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, to win the club’s first major domestic trophy since the 1955 FA Cup. Howe missed several matches the following month while being treated for pneumonia, returning on 26 April 2025, and the season ended with another Champions League qualification. The 2025-26 Premier League campaign brought 49 points and a 12th-place finish, closing with a 2-0 defeat at Fulham. Almost five years after his appointment, Howe stepped down on the eve of the following season, and Newcastle confirmed his departure on 31 July 2026.