The 21-year-old winger has impressed with his performances so far this season and has become an important member of the Leicester City first team.
McAteer has featured nine times in the league this season and has also managed to find the back of the net four times this campaign.
After a 1-0 defeat against Middlesbrough at the weekend, former Leicester star Howard stated that he was baffled at how the Foxes were able to create so few chances with options like McAteer in the team.
Howard believes that Leicester should give the youngster the ball more to let him get on with it and he stressed that McAteer is such a fiery character who lifts the team.
“For the amount of possession they had, the chances that they did not create, which I found really bizarre, but it is just the final ball, you have got like McAteer, who I thought had a great game, to be fair”, Howard said on BBC Radio Leicester.
“Obviously, it is not the way he wants us to play; you give him the ball and you just leave him alone and just get on with it.
“For somebody who is so fiery as that because he lifts everybody.
“Even if it breaks down in the final third, at least it gets the crowd going and gives a bit of life in it.”
Leicester will return to action against Watford after the international break and the Foxes will be determined to bounce back after two straight defeats when they meet the Hornets.
