LOSING AUSTIN IN 2013 GOT THE FANS ON MY SIDE

DAVID ANDERSON SEAN DYCHE clocks up nine years at Burnley tomorrow – but remembers some fans wanted him out before he had even been there nine months.

The summer of 2013 was difficult for Dyche and most supporters were unimpressed with his first eight months since succeeding Eddie Howe in October 2012.

He feels losing top scorer Charlie Austin (above) on the eve of the campaign prompted fans to get behind him and he went on to win his first promotion in 2014.

“During my first eight months, a 60-40 split wanted me out,” he said. “They weren’t having what I was trying to achieve and there were big question marks over me and the club.

“But then I saw the fairness of Burnley people. We had a really good pre-season and then we sold Charlie Austin two days before the start of the season.

“That had a galvanising affect and I could distinctly feel it at the first game of the season against Bolton. I could sense the crowd think, ‘Hang on a minute, this guy has just lost our best player, our talisman, our goalscorer’ and the crowd got behind us.

“I think that changed the psyche and we played excellent against Bolton and drew. I can’t thank the fans enough for that. We never looked back. We got the first promotion, which was incredible, and the whole feeling and connection with the club just grew from then.”

Dyche has presided over a new golden age at Turf Moor and he has won two promotions, qualified for Europe and kept them up for six successive seasons.

Yet he refuses to accept the plaudits for all this success and said: “So many people have done so much good work. I can’t take credit for the whole club. There are loads of people involved, I would never think it’s my legacy. It’s a collective legacy.”