RESILIENT DYCHE ADMITS WOOD EXIT IS TOUGH BUT WON’T LET IT AFFECT MORALE IN CLARETS’ DROP BATTLE

SEAN DYCHE insists he is ready for the fight to keep Burnley in the Premier League — despite admitting that losing striker Chris Wood is a devastating blow.

Dyche revealed that the Clarets were powerless to keep Wood out of the clutches of relegation rivals Newcastle once the Magpies had triggered a £25million release clause in the New Zealand star’s contract.

The Burnley boss is adamant that the club’s owners would not have cashed in on Wood as he battles to keep them in the top flight for a sixth consecutive season.

And Dyche dismissed all talk that the departure of Wood has left him considering his own future.

Dyche, who signed a new four-year contract last September, said: “What’s the point of being negative? That’s not going to do me any good, is it?

“I’m here to look after the morale of the players, to look after the morale of the staff and to remind them of all the good work they do.

“That’s my job. All managers have it. I’m pretty resilient, I have taken a few knocks.

“It’s never been an easy ride. I am human, I do feel it, make no mistake about it. I want to work, to do better and the knocks hurt you.

“But my job is to deal with that and make sure I am still working hard, working diligently – I will do that.”

Wood top-scored for the Clarets last season with 12 goals – nine more than any other player.

His departure to answer an SOS from Newcastle’s owners has left the Turf Moor fans reeling.

And club chairman Alan Pace felt obliged to release a statement during the week to allay fears that Burnley were walking a financial tightrope.

Dyche said: “There was no plan to sell any of our players – and there was no word from the ownership here about selling any players.

“If there hadn’t been a clause in Chris Wood’s contract, we wouldn’t have sold him.

“But when someone has got a clause – and it gets opened – you haven’t got any choice.

“I can only imagine he’s got a comfortable contract there – and I know they can pay more than us.

“That’s part of the industry we’re in and the business the player is in.”

Burnley haven’t played since being knocked out of the FA Cup by Huddersfield on January 8 after a Covid outbreak. It means they will face Arsenal at the Emirates from the bottom of the table. And, despite having games in hand over other teams around them, the Clarets take on the Gunners at the Emirates with just one win from the 17 Premier League games they have played so far.

And, although Dyche now has more freedom to shape Burnley’s business in the transfer market, it is clear that the money generated by Wood’s exit to Tyneside will not necessarily be invested in the squad.

Dyche said: “The owners made it clear to me that they are here to build the club, rather than just give me an enormous amount of money.

“But they also knew there was a certain situation that probably could have changed two or three years ago.

“Part of that was money and part of it was thinking and the actual organisation. The money side of things is still the same. Just because you get a certain amount in doesn’t mean you can take it out.

“If you look at the history of the club, that’s always been the model. If there is a player available and the ownership can make it happen, I am sure they will try to do that.

“But it still has to be a player – or players – who we all believe can affect the team straight away.”