DEPARTING Burnley manager Eddie Howe said Bournemouth was the only club he would have considered leaving Turf Moor for, adding that ‘family and personal reasons’ were the driving force behind his decision.

The 34-year-old has returned to his former club for a second spell in the hotseat after 21 months in charge of the Clarets.

While he admits it is with regret that he leaves his job unfinished, he felt compelled to move back to the south coast.

Howe is set to be unveiled as Paul Groves’ successor ahead of Bournemouth’s home game with Leyton Orient tomorrow.

“It’s been a really tough week. I can’t speak highly enough of Burnley Football Club, the people who work for the club, the players and the supporters, who have all been brilliant to us since we walked through the door, and I would like to thank them for that,” said Howe, who will be joined back at Bournemouth by assistant boss Jason Tindall.

“To leave is incredibly difficult, but I feel it’s a decision I have to make for my family and for personal reasons, which I can’t go into detail on.

“There is only one club I would contemplate leaving Burnley for and that is Bournemouth and that is the situation we found ourselves in.”

The sudden death of Howe’s mother, Annie, in March is believed to have hit him incredibly hard and had widespread repercussions for his family.