Terry Pashley proud to take the reins

But he can’t wait to be under the television spotlight tomorrow night.

Pashley holds the fort for Burnley while the board pursue a replacement for Eddie Howe, and not for the first time, having performed in a similar capacity on three other occasions.

Blackpool are the visitors for Sky’s live game, kick-off 5-20 p.m., and the youth team coach - boasting 20 years on the coaching staff - will proudly lead out the side at Turf Moor.

Pashley said: “These things don’t come naturally to me – being in front of the press – but I realise it’s part and parcel of the job. And I enjoy talking about football.

“There are good staff here and give you all the help you need. There’s no stone left unturned.

“But if I’m being honest you can get all the information, it’s still about what you do, and doing your job for 90 minutes.

“It’s going to be a good occasion with a big crowd and the cameras there.

“Let’s give them something to shout about.”

A result in the derby could push his name into the frame for the job.

But Pashley, who played over 200 games for tomorrow’s opponents and still lives in the town, hasn’t given the full time post much thought: “As life’s gone on and my career’s gone on, if I’m being honest I think it may have passed me by a little bit. I’m in my mid-50s, I enjoy what I’m doing, that’s not to say I haven’t got the ambition, but I’m realistic as well.

“When Jimmy Mullen gave me the job, I did have those ambitions. But you wonder if time has passed me by a little bit.

“I work for Burnley Football Club, whatever they ask me to do, and I’m happy doing that.

“Like I’ve said before it’s a great job to have. That’s why there are people speculating on the new applicants and the quality of them.”

It will be his team out on the Turf tomorrow though, and he accepts that responsibility: “I’ll stand and fall by my decisions.

“By around seven o’clock I’ll either be a bit of a duck egg or flavour of the month.

“If the players give everything they’ve got, keep their composure, impose themselves and play with freedom, we’ll be okay. But it’s like sleeping with one eye open.

“We’ve got to be aware there’s a threat there. We’ve got to get that balance right.”

“We know about Tom Ince and Matt Phillips, we know they are a threat. But when we start the game it’s about what we do.

“We are good with the ball. I’ve emphasised a lot this week we’ve got to be good without the ball.

“I’ve said to the boys this morning, I’m probably not saying anything new or that other people haven’t said about 1,000 time. It’s about getting that reaction in a positive frame of mind, so that when you go out you start on the front foot.”

Chesterfield-born, Pashley started his playing career with the Clarets, making the first team squad in the top flight in 1972, before his debut the year after in the Anglo-Scottish Cup against East Fife at Turf Moor.

He played 20 games over the following six seasons, before signing for Blackpool in 1978, playing under both Stan Ternent and Sam Ellis, and between 1981 and 83 made 106 consecutive appearances for the Seasiders.

It seems like fate that they provide the opposition tomorrow night: “I played a lot for Blackpool – over 200 games – and I still live in the town. That’s a little bit of spice for me.

“I’ve come across Ian Holloway a few times but I don’t really know him.

“I know Thommo (Steve Thompson) for a long time with being here as a player, and I see him a lot anyway because we go and visit Gary Parkinson a lot.

“We’ve got to respect Blackpool. They have got some threats and some good players. We have to deal with those threats, but it’s about how we play and what we do.”

Pashley will make a late check on David Edgar, who was due back with the club yesterday after playing in Canada’s 8-1 defeat in Cuba on Tuesday, while Sam Vokes and Danny Lafferty were also expected to check in yesterday morning after international duty.

However, Danny Ings, out with a knee problem since pre-season, is back training with the squad and has an outside chance of being involved: “He has trained for two days exceptionally well.

He’s had a little bit of stiffness after both sessions but they’ve been quite long sessions. The next day he has been fine.

“But I don’t want to set the lad back. He’s had a lot of disappointments over the last 18 months.”