Clarets boss Sean Dyche looks back on his Turf career as 200th league game approaches

Burnley's job is virtually done, as they hold a significant advantage over Hull City in terms of points and goal difference, but a positive result on the south coast, or convenient outcomes elsewhere, would confirm the club's status in the top flight.

That, Dyche said, would be a remarkable achievement, but the Turf Moor chief is struggling to quantify his successes from a tenure that has also brought two promotions.

"Someone asked me which is the best thing but it's such a difficult thing to measure," he said. "If you went on productivity against finance then this season because it's brutal in the Premier League

"This season has probably been the biggest challenge. There's been the anxiety of that drive to get it done and get it over the line and achieve something in a Premier League season.

"But this year I genuinely thought that we had a chance with this group. There's a bit more depth, a bit more competition in-house, a bit more money to bring a few in. I thought this group had enough.

"The main thing I'm pleased about is the ongoing trend of development for players. If I get that right then I get the knock on effect.

"I've seen that they are better players now than when they got here. That's a really big thing and that's happened to a lot of our players so I'm really proud of that."

However, Dyche ranked his first full season with the Clarets as the best of his career. Burnley did the unexpected when finishing the 2013/14 campaign as Championship runners up to Leicester City.

Dyche said: "We had a miracle season, and it still is to this day. It's probably the favourite season of my career because it was free-flowing, full of energy, committed, everything you'd want from a group to suddenly go whack. It was a diluted version of Leicester.

The first promotion is actually the best one because it meant the most. The club could build the training ground and move forward. That meant the most. It was a wave of emotion with joyous scenes at Turf Moor."

The former Watford defender is delighted to have been given this opportunity in a cut-throat industry that now sees him as the seventh longest-serving manager in the business in Britain.

And for that, Dyche has savoured every moment. "It's hard to do 200 league games as a manager nowadays," he said. "We all know the stats. To be at a club for 200 league games is very difficult as a manager. I'm pleased with that, let alone all the things that have been done alongside it.

"I've enjoyed most of it for obvious reasons. I knew what we were doing underneath those early days, even the tough days. I knew the work that was going on.

"Even the first season in the Premier League was enjoyable because it was a challenge. I was very proud of that season because we had a real go.

"The group wasn't strong enough really. We were working with the smallest group ever and just had a go. I'm really proud of that season. I get prouder as time goes on because we shouldn't have had a chance really."

And on winning the Championship title the following term, Dyche added: "Then we had a fantastic season for different ways in re-modelling it and re-organising it and getting it to be a machine-like season, particularly from Christmas onwards."