With the season drawing to a close and Burnley all but assured Premier League survival, Sean Dyche has told his players they can "professionally enjoy" a trip to the south coast.

"We still want to win"

Dyche is still keen to earn three points but hopes their strong league position can help his players express their creativity on Saturday. He stated "we got a big win at Crystal Palace and now we have the chance to go down there and it’s one for professional enjoyment because we still want to win".

The Burnley manager has a good record of finishing seasons well and is looking for a similar outcome as he prepares for his 200th league game in charge. He added "everybody knows we want to finish seasons strong. We have done it in all of my time here so we want to do that again but it’s good for the fans". Those travelling supporters will rack up almost 600 miles this weekend.

"It's important we keep our head in the game"

One man who has made that five hour journey before is former Burnley manager Eddie Howe. The 39-year old left the Clarets before Dyche took control to transform the Cherries from a struggling League Two side into an established Premier League outfit.

Dyche reserved special praise for his predecessor, explaining “it’s tough for any team, first of all to get out of the Championship, and then to be in the Premier League and to stay in the Premier League again is a tremendous job".

It is an achievement Dyche has accomplished this season for the first time with Burnley. “We are really pleased that we have gone into the Premier League for a second time and stayed in there. That’s a feat in itself".

Meanwhile, striker Sam Vokes has stated the Burnley players won't be slacking off. “It’s important we keep our head in the game. It will be nice to celebrate at the end of the season but for now it’s time to get the job done".

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