EDDIE Howe has admitted he found it "impossible to say no" when he discovered Cherries wanted to bring him back to Dean Court.

Howe, a lifelong Cherries fan, is today (November 12) due to return to the club on a permanent basis when he completes a free transfer from Portsmouth.

The 26-year-old has agreed terms for a two-and-a-half year deal after reaching a settlement with Pompey over the remainder of his Fratton Park contract.

Cherries have seen off interest from both Bristol City and Reading to get their man, the deal to bring Howe back funded by the club's pioneering Playershare scheme.

Howe, who joined Pompey for £400,000 in March 2002, re-joined Cherries on loan at the start of this season, making 19 league and cup appearances for the club.

He told the Daily Echo last night: "It's been a hectic few days and I'm delighted to have pledged my future to Bournemouth again.

"I had such a fantastic time here on loan and it was a great experience to come back. Once it was put to me to come back permanently, it was impossible to say no."

"I couldn't have contemplated going anywhere else. I felt I owed the club something because they stuck by me and showed tremendous loyalty and I felt I wanted to repay them for that.

"I found it difficult to find my feet when I first came back and I was scratching around for a bit of form but the fans didn't get on my back and the support they've given me has been absolutely fantastic. The reaction I got from the fans at Peterborough is something I will never forget."

Howe, whose move is subject to the Premiership confirming his Pompey contract has been cancelled, added: "I'm thankful to Portsmouth for letting me leave on a free transfer.

"They have let me further my career and helped me get first-team football. They made sure the deal was sorted out quickly and I'm grateful to them for that. Once I'd reached agreement with them, everything was sorted out pretty quickly with Bournemouth."

Howe needs to be registered before today's noon deadline to be eligible to line up in Cherries' tricky FA Cup first round clash at Forest Green Rovers tomorrow, although clearance from the Premiership should be a formality.

However, defender Martin Cranie will be unavailable as Southampton have asked for the 19-year-old not to become cup-tied by Cherries. Cranie will now link up with the England under-19s for an international against France on Thursday.

Cherries boss Sean O'Driscoll said: "We are delighted to have Eddie back. He's done really well in his three months here and he needs to be playing regularly at this time in his career.

"We are extremely grateful to Portsmouth for not standing in his way and are looking forward to working with him again for the next two-and-a-half years."

O'Driscoll added: "We can fully understand Southampton's situation with regard to Martin. They told us they would be reluctant to let him play in the cup when we took him, but said they would review it nearer the time."

In a bid to raise funds for Playershare, Cherries chairman Peter Phillips took the unusual step of launching 'Eddie Share' using an unofficial supporters' website on Wednesday night. The initiative had brought in more than £8,000 in pledges in the space of 24 hours.

Phillips said: "The way in which the fans have rallied round just shows how popular Eddie is and how much our fans want him back, and also shows how good our fans are as well."