SEAN Dyche has scooped a hat-trick of manager of the month awards, and declared the latest one the most meaningful, because it has gone hand-in-hand with promotion.

The Clarets boss was already the first Burnley manager to earn two such accolades in one season, after Harry Potts and Brian Miller earned theirs in separate campaigns.

He is the first Turf Moor chief to win it three times, highlighting the levels of consistency the Clarets have reached throughout their promotion season before they round things off at Reading tomorrow (kick-off 12.15pm).

But Dyche insisted it would not have been possible without the efforts of his staff and players.

“It’s not really a cliche, it’s a fact, you always pick it up on behalf of your staff and the players and everyone concerned with the club,” he said.

“I do greatly respect it and it’s a great sign that you achieve these things because it means the team’s winning, and that’s the key thing.

“I accept it on behalf of the group and I’m glad to accept it.

“People outside call it the business end of the season.

“I think every part of the season is the business end, but I’m not naive enough to think that when you really need results, as we have done, it’s an important one, so to get it this month particularly does mean more than the others because we needed those results this month and we got them.

“The extra pleasing thing is that it is people (who decide) who have been there, seen it and done it, and good people.

“I know a few of them from meeting them at different events.

“It is an honour, make no mistake, I do enjoy that side of it but it is on behalf of my staff on the players.

“They’ve been fantastic. I’m bereft of superlatives for them. They’ve been amazing, fantastic, tremendous and every other word you can think of.

“I take great value in them, I’ve enjoyed every day that they’ve trained, their training’s fantastic, the energy the effort, the application towards what we expect them to deliver has been first class.”

Dyche, who also won the Championship’s manager of the month award in September and October, added: “I believe in guiding the players and guiding the staff and working with the staff, the staff promoting some of my ideas and running with them to the players.

“When it aligns properly it obviously is very pleasing to see and to get an award for that is fantastic for us all.

“But I don’t overthink it. As soon as you get it there’s a lot of work to be done.

“It is always a reflection of the players but someone has to get the award and that someone is me.”

Barring long-term casualty Sam Vokes, Burnley go to Reading at full strength for the televised game, looking to stand in the way of the Royals clinching the final play-off spot.

But there has been good news for the injured striker, with his knee surgeon pleased with how the cartilage is healing.

Vokes went to London on Wednesday for his first check-up since the operation three weeks ago, and has now been given the green light to proceed with his rehabilitation.

“Everything’s going to plan,” said Dyche.