'Eddie would never advertise himself but it's only normal for a player or manager to be ambitious'

Howe has enjoyed a sublime start to the campaign with the Dorset club, guiding them to sixth in the table.

His side are above 20-time English champions Manchester United on goal difference, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to the Red Devils at Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Murphy, now a pundit with the likes of the BBC and TalkSPORT, said Howe was “good enough to manage any club in the Premier League”.

The ex-Liverpool, Tottenham and Fulham midfielder wrote in his Mail on Sunday column: “Eddie would never advertise himself but it's only normal for a player or manager to be ambitious.

“I am sure he's totally sincere in his love for Bournemouth but the reality is there will always be a ceiling as to what he can achieve there and, in my view, he's good enough to manage any club in the Premier League.

“He's helped Bournemouth progress every season in the Premier League and it's only a matter of time before he gets a new kind of offer.

“When will he move on? I don't know but football can move forward very quickly. Every club – United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs – should be aware of his progress.

“If I was a Spurs fan and Mauricio Pochettino left, I wouldn't mind having Eddie as the next man in. He has a lot of the same qualities that Poch has, including the development of younger players.

“In reality, would a club the size of Manchester United ever go for a younger coach without European experience? I don't know but I don't have any doubts about his attributes.

“Every managerial appointment is a risk to some extent but if I supported any of those clubs, I wouldn't be disappointed to have Eddie leading the team out.”

Only Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have scored more top-flight goals than Cherries this season.

And UEFA Cup winner Murphy praised the Dorset club’s attacking intent.

“Bournemouth are fearless, they try to win games even against the biggest clubs like United and show good variation in play,” he said.

“Look at what Eddie’s achieved – season after season – and what was on show against United. He leads a team of high intensity, who have a work ethic that's hard to maintain over a long period of time.

“He makes individuals better and a team better collectively. David Brooks played number 10 on Saturday and looked a super talent.

“Others like Steve Cook, Charlie Daniels and Simon Francis have helped Bournemouth reach the top flight and they have since shown they belong there under Howe's guidance.”