Defoe keen to learn from Howe as striker eyes management

The Cherries boss played a pivotal role in convincing the striker to return to Bournemouth and he is keen to learn from his new manager

Jermain Defoe hopes linking up with Eddie Howe at Bournemouth can help him plot a future career in management.

The 34-year-old signed a three-year contract at Dean Court after agreeing a switch from relegated Sunderland, Defoe returning to the club where he had so much success as a loanee earlier in his career.

During that previous spell with the Cherries – in which Defoe scored in 10 successive league games – he played alongside and was captained by Howe.

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At a media conference on Thursday, Defoe recalled Howe's influence on him as a youngster and he hopes to learn off him again as he eyes a future in the dugout.

"Even back then he [Howe] was a natural leader, somebody I looked at and thought that he'd go on to be a manager," said the international.

"I'd love to [follow in his footsteps]. As you get older, of course you think on that sort of level. You always look at a manager and think, 'I like the way you do this or the way you do that and if I was a manager I'd do the same'.

"That is the way I am beginning to think, I would like to take my coaching badges and I would like to try and take a lot from Eddie this year."

And discussions with Howe helped convince Defoe to move back to the south coast following relegation with Sunderland last term.

"When we first spoke ahead of the move, he said 'I would like to improve you'," Defoe added.

"For me, that was huge, even at the age of 34 and that's a mark of him really.

"That made me so excited to be here and I can't wait to get my boots on and get started."