"I felt really bad" - Eddie Howe speaks out in first press conference since pneumonia
The best news of the week was confirmation yesterday that Eddie Howe is feeling much better and back at work at the club's Benton training base.
Today, it wasn't clear if he would take Friday morning's press conference. However, it was Howe who spoke to the media, taking several questions on his battle with pneumonia and admission to hospital over the past fortnight.
Howe - "I'm on the road to recovery"
Starting with an update on how he's feeling two weeks later, Howe admitted his body is still recovering, but that he's "close to 100%" in his mind.
He said: "I'm not 100% in my body, but I'd like to think I'm close to 100% in my mind, which is the important thing.
"You take your health for granted, but thankfully, I'm on the road to recovery and I'm delighted to be here.
"It's been difficult. I try to take a positive from every experience but this has been a real challenge. Without the quick intervention (of club doctor) it could have had a different outcome"
"The care that I received from the NHS was first class. I came back in, and normal service resumed, minus running around, a lot more reserved physically."
"I felt awful"
The boss then revealed just how bad he was feeling during that Monday night win over Leicester, explaining how he had to stop himself taking training ahead of our 4-1 win over Man Utd later that week.
"The Leicester game I felt awful. I planned to come back to training ahead of Man Utd. I had a shower and was getting ready to go and something was telling me 'no, you need to go back to bed'. That was the moment things changed.
"I felt really bad - and didn't know how bad. I'm like most men, you probably think you're going to be OK in a few days. I was very thankful that the doctor here, Paul Catterson, acted really quickly."
"I was pleased to be told to go to hospital. Subconsciously I thought that was the right place for me. It was a bit of a relief to get that care in that moment. It was strange but it was where I needed to be."
Howe: I need to look after myself better
In more honest and open comments from Howe, he revealed just how tough the last few weeks have been and opened up about the need for him to show himself 'more care' after such a serious infection.
“The last few weeks has been a real challenge. When you get to where I was (when admitted to hospital) you see life through different eyes.
"It’s important not to forget how you saw things in that moment. None of us know how long we are going to be on the planet for.
"I’ve learned not to take for granted what I do here on a daily basis. It was a relief to be told I needed to go to hospital, because I instinctively knew I was in the right place.
"My takeaway is I need to give myself a bit more care and love if I can, and give more thought to what I’m doing.”
Great to have you back, Eddie!
