Southampton boss Ronald Koeman says English managers won't dominate jobs in the Premier League.

Today he faces one of the home-grown few in Eddie Howe, who takes his Bournemouth side to face Koeman's Southampton at St Mary's for the first time in the top flight.

Koeman said: "Maybe it's because there's a European influence in the Premier League, for players and for managers.

"I can only tell you about my own thoughts, not what the rest would have as an opinion.

"In my situation it was because there was of a lot of attention to the English League and the FA Cup final when I was a young kid.

"There is always spirit and intensity in the games, and that makes it nice to watch English football. There are also big clubs and that was the reason I was interested to be a manager of an English club.

"I think it's always important to have some foreign managers here because maybe they will bring some new ideas into the game.

"It's also important to protect the English managers but in the end it's up to the club to make that decision."