EDDIE Howe said he would not judge an outfield player for wearing gloves in cold weather – even though he did not permit himself that luxury during his playing days.

With temperatures dropping as the season approaches its mid-point, players around the Premier League are pulling on their mitts for games, with Callum Wilson, Joshua King, Junior Stanislas and Harry Arter doing so at Manchester United on Wednesday.

And while that style choice may not be in keeping with traditional football garb, Cherries boss Howe says he does not see it as a problem.

He told the Daily Echo: "In my era, it was absolutely frowned upon in training and in games. Wearing them in games wasn't even a thought but sometimes in training you would see players come out with gloves on and think 'oh no, there's going to be trouble here'.

"Players' and coaches' attitude to the cold has changed since then. Coaches have become more understanding of the way players need to warm up and prepare.

"My personal preference is I would never have done it but that's me. If players need them to perform better then who are you to judge?"

Asked if there were likely to be any pictures of him wearing gloves in the Echo's archives, Howe added: "If you find any, well done!"