“HAVING spent a total of 25 years with the club as both a player and a manager, this decision - made together with the club - is one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make.”
Those were the words of Eddie Howe as he penned an open letter to Cherries' fans tonight after leaving his position as manager by mutual consent.
The club’s most successful boss, Howe came through the ranks at the Dorset outfit from being a youth player all the way to guiding the club to England’s elite level.
Here, the Daily Echo takes a look at 15 historic images throughout Howe’s association with Cherries.
The Daily Echo's coverage of Howe's first-team debut - a 2-0 victory over Hull City in 1995.
Howe was called up to represent England under-21s in the 1998 Toulon Tournament - where he played alongside the likes of Frank Lampard, Jamie Carragher and Emile Heskey.
Howe scored a winning spot-kick in a dramatic Carling Cup penalty shootout victory against Blackburn in 2004. He said: "I always regard that as one of my best games in a Bournemouth shirt."
The club stalwart had coached Cherries' reserves as well as taking on a role as a player-coach - his first game in charge of the second-string came against Crystal Palace.
Howe was put in caretaker charge of Cherries after Jimmy Quinn was sacked on December 31, 2008.
As caretaker boss, Howe's first game at the helm came in a 2-1 defeat at Darlington.
Despite two defeats as caretaker manager, he was given the job full-time and overcame League Two high-flyers Wycombe 3-1 in January 2009.
Howe masterminded Cherries' great escape to League Two safety with a 2-1 victory over Grimsby in April 2009.
The following season, he guided Cherries to promotion back to League one after a 2-0 victory at Burton Albion.
After an 18-month spell at Burnley, Howe and assistant Jason Tindall rejoined Cherries for a second spell in October 2012.
The boss on the pitch at Dean Court with son Harry, after Cherries beat Carlisle 3-1 in April 2013. The victory ensured Cherries' promotion to the Championship.
The manager with his arms aloft after Cherries all-but sealed promotion to the Premier League after beating Bolton 3-0 at Dean Court in April 2015.
Cherries secured the Championship title under Howe's management after beating Charlton on the final day of the 2014-15 campaign.
Howe became Cherries' first manager to record a Premier League victory with a 4-3 win over West Ham in August 2015.
After five seasons in the top-flight, he saw Cherries relegated from the Premier League despite victory at Everton - the team he supported as a boy.
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