EDDIE Howe admitted he would never stop being tough on himself and revealed he typically had not revelled in any managerial success.

Howe is regarded by many as the greatest manager in Cherries history having guided the club from the depths of League Two to the Premier League across two separate spells.

He subsequently steered his team to 16th and ninth in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, respectively, those being Cherries' two best finishes in the league ladder.

Howe said: "I'm hard on myself every week, whether we win, lose or draw.

"I've always been the same way. People say you have got to enjoy the highs. I tend not to enjoy the highs. That's how I've been. If you saw me when we got promoted from the Championship, I struggled to really live in that moment.

"If you are going to exist like that, you can't get too low during the lows, otherwise you are going to find the job very difficult.

"I try to stay very level during the lows and analyse and look to come back and improve. Certainly there is no sinking into despair for me."

Asked why he tended not to enjoy success, Howe said: "It's just part of my character. I'd like to find the solution to that.

"The good times and the achievements are nice but I prefer to see the reaction of other people rather than dwell on it myself. I get more satisfaction seeing other people happy.

"My philosophy is to stay very level no matter what spell you are in and I think that way you keep the team on a successful curve because you are not being a rollercoaster of emotions yourself. I think that is very important."

Howe, who turns 40 in November, added: "I would never consider myself a soft manager. I would never consider myself an aggressive, confrontational manager either. I would consider myself a manager who tries to get the best out of his players every day.

"If you are consistent with that, I think the players respect that method of work."