Steve Cotterill looks forward as he gets Burnley job

Last updated : 03 June 2004 By Tony Scholes

This morning he had been for a swim and a sauna and had eaten breakfast by ten minutes past seven so keen was he to get started and he is now ready to make his first decisions as Burnley boss.

"I’m really looking forward to it, he said. "It’s a great challenge but without a challenge there is no achievement."

When asked about replacing Stan he added, "I will say he is a hard act to follow but it is probably no more pressure than you put yourself under to be successful anyway."

He has been made aware of the lack of players currently at the club. "The first plan is to get three players because other than that it would be eight a side at the moment, so we have to bring some new players in pretty quickly and some good ones that we can afford.

"We’ll try and get together a good team ethic, a team that is going to work hard and give the Burnley supporters what they want."

He is also looking to bring in his own backroom staff and added, "I’ve got my backroom staff tentatively sorted but I couldn’t go ahead because it was only last night that everything was finalised.

"There will be a few phone calls over the next few days but there is no urgency."

Chairman Barry Kilby said that all the applicants had impressed but Cotterill, who has signed a three year deal, was the outstanding candidate to take the club forward alongside the three year plan.

The new manager told Clarets Mad of his wish to get the youth system sorted but said that getting the first team as he wants it has to be the first priority. We’ll be discussing that, amongst other things, with him in the near future.