Burnley captain Tom Heaton believes continuity is key – and the club’s success with Sean Dyche at the helm is testimony to that as they battle to preserve their top-flight status for another season.

Dyche is the seventh-longest-serving manager in the Football League, and under his stewardship, the Clarets have earned two promotions, including an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation in 2015, and are on course to remain there after an encouraging campaign that has seen them defy the odds on numerous occasions.

And while five out of the seven clubs beneath them in the table have changed managers so far this season, the Clarets have kept faith with Dyche and are reaping the rewards of a healthy position, both in the league and financially.

Club skipper Heaton has had his say on those who have opted to appoint new managers, however, and said ‘everyone has got their own reasons… the Premier League is the ‘Promised Land’, it’s where we all want to be,’ before adding ‘with not being there, I don’t know the reasons to decide to get rid of somebody… it’s tough, but certainly from my experience here that continuity has been excellent.’

'I think there's been really good progression'

Burnley’s persistence with Dyche has not only been vindicated on the pitch but off it, too, as the club’s growth has seen them edge closer to moving in to their new £10.6m training complex on their old Gawthorpe site.

And Heaton, who has become something of a club stalwart after moving to Turf Moor in 2013, has recognised the importance of gradual development at the club, insisting ‘the continuity is vital,’ and ‘since I signed here, there’s been progression and you can see that on and off the pitch.’

The England international also added that, despite relegation, ‘I class that Premier League season as a successful one… because there was a bigger picture in place’ – like, Heaton, says, ‘the new training ground coming through… it’s vitally important.’

Speaking on relegation from the Premier League in 2015, Heaton also added that ‘the building strategy helped us the year after then to mount a challenge, which we did as champions… I think there’s been really good progression on that path.’

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