Burnley announce Sean Dyche as new manager

Burnley have appointed Sean Dyche as their new manager.

Dyche fills a vacancy created when Eddie Howe left the npower Championship club earlier this month to return to Bournemouth due to family reasons.

The 41-year-old has penned a two-and-a-half year contract on his first appointment since being controversially sacked as Watford manager this summer, following the Pozzo family's takeover at Vicarage Road.

Dyche led Watford to their highest Championship finish for four years in his first managerial appointment last term and returned to football as part of Stuart Pearce's England Under-21s coaching staff for September's Euro 2013 qualifier against Norway.

He is joined at Turf Moor by assistant Ian Woan, who also served as his number two at Watford, and first-team coach Tony Loughlan.

Having recorded back-to-back wins in their first two games under caretaker boss Terry Pashley, Burnley went down 4-0 to leaders Cardiff at the weekend and lie 14th in the table ahead of Saturday's clash with Wolves.

Burnley co-chairmen John Banaszkiewicz and Mike Garlick welcomed Dyche to the club, proclaiming his as the "outstanding candidate" to replace Howe in a joint statement.

It read: "Sean was the outstanding candidate following an extensive and structured interviewing process to find the right manager to fit in with our vision for the club.

"He is a natural leader with real presence who did a marvellous job at Watford last season in his first managerial role at a club with its roots firmly in the community.

"His commitment to a very strong and successful youth system was clear at a club with close parallels to our own, and Sean is especially keen to develop stronger links between Burnley Football Club and the local community.

"These attributes, complemented by a fantastic ability to maximise resources in taking Watford to their highest position since relegation from the Premier League in 2008 (2007), make us confident Sean is the right man to take this club forward."

PA