Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has backed Bournemouth counterpart Eddie Howe to enjoy a bright future in the game.

At the age of just 39 Howe has already steered Bournemouth from League One to the Premier League in the space of less than three years, before consolidating their position with a 16th-place finish last season.

Howe has been tipped as a future England manager and a possible successor for Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, and Conte is confident that he will go on to achieve big things.

"Eddie Howe is a really good manager, very young and doing very well with Bournemouth," he told reporters.

"I like him and have great respect for him. I wish him a good career, a top career. If he continues in this way he can become a manager of a great team.

"I have studied Bournemouth and they are a good team with good organisation. They always try to play from the back and put on good pressure."

Chelsea will host Bournemouth on Boxing Day looking for a club-record 12th straight Premier League victory.