Bank Holiday Monday was a special one for Premier League-bound Burnley, and for Owen Coyle in particular, but what would he do if Celtic came knocking? We asked him.
Q: After Gordon Strachan's resignation you have been linked with the post at Celtic - would you be interested?
A: I didn't know there was a vacancy at Celtic. It's flattering that people mention your name, but I'm with
Burnley. I'll concentrate on what I am doing here, and long may that continue. I aspire to manage at the top level and that is the Premier League.”
Q: Burnley's success has been achieved against the odds hasn't it?
A: I always believed you could build a team without having to spend huge amounts of money. We're in the bottom four clubs in the Championship in terms of average attendance, turnover and revenue. We've used the fewest amount of players but they have showed a real hunger and a real desire to win games. As a manager I cannot ask anymore than that.
Q: Where does that hunger come from?
A: Fans recognise when the players are trying and if we do that then the players' wonderful ability will kick in to go with the hunger and the desire. We felt at the start of the season that we could make inroads into the top end of the Championship.
Q: You seem to have an incredibly positive attitude towards football management?
A: I do believe I'm a very positive person. I was brought up with five brothers and three sisters in the Gorbals in Glasgow. You had to be very positive there, I can assure you. I've said to the players throughout the season ‘nobody will ever hand you anything. Anything you get you're going to have to earn’.
Q: So what's your managerial secret?
A: It's about getting that little bit extra out of players and making them even better. If I'm doing that then I'm making us a better team and that's my ultimate responsibility as a manager. Somebody said it was great to have the cup runs but I believed we could win every game. Otherwise, why enter the competition?
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