EDDIE Howe admits tomorrow’s Carabao Cup tie at Burton Albion brings back memories of his “special” promotion-winning side of 2009-10, adding how he still looks to “harness” a similar team spirit in his squad today.

Howe’s Cherries sealed a top-three finish in League Two little over nine years ago with a 2-0 victory at Pirelli Stadium thanks to second-half goals from Brett Pitman and Alan Connell.

And the Premier League class of 2019-20 make the club’s first return to the Staffordshire outfit since then in tomorrow evening’s Carabao Cup third round clash (7.45pm). Recalling his last trip to Pirelli Stadium, Howe told the Daily Echo: “When I heard that it was 2010 that we went there, it was like where have those years gone? It’s just zipped by. As people tell me it does as you get older.

“I’m looking forward to going back. I haven’t been back since that day, that was a very special one in the club’s recent history.

“Any promotion has to be treasured and savoured. We did that day. It was a really special thing.

“I have to say the people of Burton that day were really good and really helped the moment in the way that they received us. So we’re looking forward to going back.”

He added: “It was a really special day. Brett’s goal, I thought we performed well and then Alan scoring the goal was a really nice thing for him personally, having had a difficult time with injuries.

“Of course he’s back at the club in a different capacity now, working with the youth team. He’s a really special guy and he’s got a great association with the club.

“I sort of associate that win with his goal and with that moment. Being by the supporters as well, that was a very special moment.”

Promotion was made even sweeter for Cherries having staved off relegation out of the Football League despite starting the season on minus 17 points the previous campaign.

“That was another promotion built on team spirit, unity and the quality of the players that we had,” said Howe.

“The mentality of the group was so good. Every week we believed we could win and we showed the determination and motivation to get over the line in a lot of tight games. They were a very special group I was proud to manage.”

Asked if he can take anything from that season into how he prepares his current crop of stars, Howe said: “You try to. It does naturally change over time.

“You need to go onto the pitch feeling that you have that unity with your teammates, you have that common goal with each other, that you’re fighting for the same cause. If your teammate’s having a bad day, you’re there to protect him and look after him and pull him through. Another day it might be him pulling you through, it’s that kind of feeling I think when you enter the pitch that you’re sort of playing with your brothers.

“That’s what you try and foster, what you try and create. I think we’ve still got that feeling within the group, but trying to harness it and maintain it and take it into a new direction is always a challenge and more of a challenge now in the Premier League probably than it’s ever been.

"But it’s certainly very important to us.”