CHERRIES boss Eddie Howe said it had been "a huge honour” to be described by Gary Lineker as England’s ‘Special One’.

The former England star and Match of the Day presenter made reference to Howe’s exploits with Cherries on his Twitter account on Monday.

Posting after Cherries had all but clinched promotion with a 3-0 win over Bolton, Lineker wrote: “Tell you who don't play boring football; Bournemouth. They'll be an excellent addition to the PL. Look forward to welcoming them on MOTD.”

And a second tweet read: “The achievements of Eddie Howe at Bournemouth make me wonder whether we've possibly found the English 'special one'.”

Speaking ahead of Cherries’ visit to Charlton, Howe said: “Gary Lineker was one of my heroes as a kid. I idolised him when he was banging in goal after goal for a season at Everton.

“And as an England fan, I used to love seeing him do so well in World Cups and taking home the golden boot. He was a great player so, to have him even talk about me and know my name, I find a huge honour.

“You take comments like that with encouragement because it means we are being successful here. I’ve always said that, when people say nice things, it means you are doing your job and that is all I want to do.”