‘Targeting Europe didn’t even cross my mind’

SEAN DYCHE has promised to attack the Europa League with Burnley because qualification would be an achievement beyond even his wildest dreams.

Dyche’s side will secure seventh place in the Premier League, and their first European adventure since 1967, if they beat Brighton at Turf Moor today and Leicester fail to win at Crystal Palace.

It would complete a remarkable transformation for a side who were 14th in the Championship when he arrived in October 2012, and only ensured their survival in the second tier with one game to spare the following spring.

They have climbed 27 league places in the five and a half years since, and are guaranteed to finish this season in their highest position since 1974.

Burnley would have to start next season on July 26, in the second qualifying round if they complete the job of European qualification, but Dyche is not worried about that impacting on the league campaign.

“Of course it is to be embraced. No one was even thinking of Burnley in Europe. It didn’t cross their mind, or mine, five and a half years ago,” he said.

“The building blocks had to be put in place to even get close. Now it’s almost a reality. That can’t be anything other than a positive.

“Outside, it will be the negative story that sells a bit better. That’s the nature of the world, ‘That’s going to be a challenge, they’re going to have to do this and that’.

“If that works, the line will be that it’s actually favoured us, that we’re learning more.

“If it doesn’t, people will say it’s down to too many games, and that they told us that.”

The target for Brighton is to secure survival and manager Chris Hughton would love to stay at the club for many years to come.

Hughton, who took Brighton into the top flight for the first time in 34 years, is now within touching distance of keep them up. It would be a massive achievement, and Hughton says everything is in place at the Amex for him to stay a long time.

“What the club has done here is provide me with a platform to do well,” he said.

“That’s with the facilities and most importantly with recruitment. We’ve recruited really well.

“I’ve no doubt that if we were to stay in this division this is a club which will want to develop and will want stability. So I’m very happy to be around it.”