BRONZE and salt - Burnley boss Sean Dyche is au fait with the traditional materials that mark an eighth anniversary.

Salt is the more practical of the two, especially at this time of year. It is perhaps too soon to be considering a bronze statue to commemorate his achievements, not least because the job is still ongoing. Eight years on Friday, and counting.

But when it comes to timescales Dyche cannot say how many more Turf Moor anniversaries he will celebrate.

“If results go against you for a long enough period, it changes anyway. Or someone rings the chairman and you move because you think it is the right thing to do. They are the likely things that happen in football," he said.

“I’ve been through it. That is a great learning curve," added the Burnley boss, who was sacked from his first managerial role despite leading Watford to their best finish in four years.

"To give a quick insight into management, loads of managers and some that I didn’t know rang (after Watford) to say ‘you’re a real manager now you’ve been sacked, son’. It’s a badge of honour. A qualification.

“How long results last, how long people still listen to your voice, your rhetoric, your ways of working, how long people watch you and enthuse about what you’re doing or enjoy what you’re doing and have belief in what you’re doing...these are all outside forces. The only inside force is to keep working hard, asking the players and showing showing diligence, keep showing belief in the players and the work we do with them individually and collectively.

“So they are the things I can control. I can’t even control results, I can only guide the team to give them the best opportunity of getting them."

Although Dyche cannot predict what the future holds, there is one thing he is sure of.

“As (Sir Steve) Redgrave said, I won’t be in the boat when I’m 65, I tell you. I’ll not be in the boat," said the Burnley boss, who intends to break away from football when the time comes to pursue other interests.

“Very normal stuff, travelling and seeing friends, just stuff that you don’t get the chance to do," he added.

“I live in two places so my time is spent M1, M6, A50, family, football. It’s the bits in between. Take away Covid obviously: travel, friends, things that should get more of your time, I’m aware of that, but they can’t get more of your time.

“That is the way it goes. The balance. Golf, of course.”