David James has suggested that former club Bournemouth can finish in the top half of the Premier League this season because of their manager Eddie Howe.
The South Coast outfit will play in the top flight of English football for the first time in their history after they won the Championship title last term.
James played under Howe as he made 19 League One appearances for Bournemouth in the 2012-13 season, and the former England stopper has said that he saw enough from the Cherries boss to convince him that they will not be battling relegation.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they finished in the top half because Eddie is such a good manager," James told The Guardian. "He went to Burnley and they didn't do as well league wise as I thought they would. Then he came back to Bournemouth and I was there and I saw him operating and I was like: 'Wow, he is as good as I thought he was.'
"Everything was organised, his manner around the players was really great and he had a vision. He was pedantic about everything and one of the things that resonate around football now is how poor some of the coaching sessions were and still are.
"You have two hours a day to train, to prepare for the week and improve as a player. Eddie uses every minute to make his players better, hence the there are seven or eight players who were in League One who are now in the Premier League. There are not many like that, so he is special. He is very, very different in a good way. I think he is class."
Bournemouth begin the Premier League season at home to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Steven Toplis
