EDDIE Mitchell has quashed speculation linking Eddie Howe with a move to Hull City.

The Tigers, relegated from the Premier League last season, are searching for a manager to replace Phil Brown after stand-in boss Iain Dowie was told he would not be getting the job on a permanent basis.

Howe, in his first managerial role with Cherries, has carved a big reputation for himself by saving the club from relegation and then leading them to promotion.

He has previously been linked with roles at Portsmouth and Coventry City, while Peterborough United failed to prise him from Dean Court last season.

Over the weekend, reports suggested the 32-year-old was a potential candidate for the KC Stadium hotseat, although Alan Curbishley, Paul Hart and Dave Jones are said to be the front-runners.

When asked about the speculation, Cherries chairman Mitchell yesterday confirmed there had been no approach for the club’s prized asset.

He told the Echo: “It’s new to me – I don’t know anything about it whatsoever.

“There has been no contact that I know of and I would have known.

“I don’t think there’s much in that, to be quite honest.

“But for him to even be linked with a job like that is quite good really.

“It just shows that there are people that think we’re capable, which is good for us.”

Howe and assistant boss Jason Tindall displayed their loyalty to Cherries earlier this month by agreeing to top up their contracts to three years as they prepare the Dean Court outfit for life in League One.