Sean Dyche

Playing career

Dyche was a youth-team player at Nottingham Forest in the late 1980s, while Brian Clough was manager. When he joined Forest he was 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) and weighed 10 stone, but grew to 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and 12 stone after a year. He broke his leg early in his career, which Dyche claims held him back. It also left him with a permanent bend in his leg.

He left Forest in early 1990 without making a first-team appearance and signed for Chesterfield, where he later became captain. Dyche was part of a team that won the Division Three play-offs in 1995 and reached an FA Cup semi-final in 1997. In the FA Cup semi final against Middlesbrough he scored a penalty to put his side 2–0 up in an eventual 3–3 draw. Ultimately, Chesterfield would go on to lose the replay 3–0.

Dyche left Chesterfield for Bristol City in 1997, helping them win promotion to Division One in his first season. City were relegated the following season, during which Dyche spent time on loan at Luton Town. He moved to Millwall at the end of the campaign, where he won promotion to Division One in 2001 and came close to a Premier League place the following year, losing to eventual promotion winners Birmingham City in the play-offs. In 2002, he began a three-year spell at Watford where he was captain in his final season with the club.

He signed for Northampton Town in 2005, and was involved in their 2005–06 promotion from League Two. He fell out of favour after the appointment of Stuart Gray as manager, and was released at the end of the 2006–07 season.

Managerial career

Having retired, following his release from Northampton, Dyche rejoined Watford as under-18s coach in 2007, and was promoted to assistant manager in July 2009 when Malky Mackay was appointed Watford manager. Mackay left to join Cardiff City in June 2011, and Dyche was promoted to manager. Watford finished the 2011–12 season in 11th place, the club's best finish for four years, but a change in club ownership led to his dismissal at the end of the season.

Dyche joined the England national under-21 football team as a temporary member of the backroom staff in September 2012, but the following month became manager of Burnley, succeeding Eddie Howe, who had left the club to rejoin A.F.C. Bournemouth. Dyche was named Championship manager of the month for September 2013, and led Burnley to their best start to a season since they were founded in 1882. The team broke a number of long-standing club records, and won promotion to the Premier League, after a four-year absence. Their spell in the top flight lasted only a single season, as they were relegated with two games to spare. On 5 February 2016 Dyche signed a contract extension. Dyche guided Burnley to the Premier League for a second time in the 2015–16 season, with promotion sealed following a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Turf Moor on 2 May.

Personal life

Dyche grew up in Kettering, Northamptonshire. His father was a management consultant for British Steel Corporation, working in Egypt, India, and Corby. He has two brothers. Dyche and his wife Jane have two children.

Managerial statistics

As a player

Chesterfield

Bristol City

Millwall

Northampton Town

As a manager

Burnley

Individual