After playing only sixty-one minutes of competitive football whilst at Fratton due to two horrific injuries, "Steady Eddie" recently spent nineteen games on loan at Dean Court. His spell there included a famous Carling Cup victory at Blackburn, where he scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out.
Bournemouth have assumed control of the remaining two and a half years of Howe's contract, thanks in part to the efforts of their own fans. Using an appeal over the internet called "EddieShare", bizarrely the club received pledges and bought back their former defender - a similar financial deal to the one that was struck to bring him in on loan in the first place.