ON the eve of the hottest day of the year, a cold shiver went down the spine of Burnley fans.

They had barely had time to digest and celebrate the news that Tom Heaton had signed his second contract extension in 12 months and agreed a new deal to the summer of 2018 before hearing renewed speculation about their manager.

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Sean Dyche was linked with Sunderland earlier in the summer, before Dick Advocaat did a U-turn and decided to stay at the Stadium of Light.

But Nigel Pearson’s sacking immediately cast Dyche’s future at Turf Moor into doubt.

On Tuesday evening, as a last night of freedom was enjoyed by the Clarets camp before the onslaught of pre-season training began yesterday, the Burnley boss was said to have been placed on Leicester’s shortlist of candidates to fill the newly vacated hotseat.

There is never a good time. But when a squad is preparing for day one of what they hope will be another push for promotion, it could not have come at a worse one.

While Dyche might not be the ‘big name’ that some Leicester fans crave as their next manager, he certainly made a name for himself last season.

Unlike the Foxes, Burnley did not stay up, but they were not too far off and Dyche orchestrated some memorable results on a comparatively paltry budget.

He carried himself with aplomb on the touchline and in the media. The same cannot be said of Pearson in either environment.

Although he kept the Foxes up, shame was brought on the club too many times and the post-season trip to Thailand, after which Pearson’s son was sacked, was the tipping point.

Dyche is a solid man, and manager. There is vast appeal. But would the feeling be mutual if an offer was put to him?

There are many reasons why Dyche might want to go, not least Premier League football. He would also be blessed with a bigger budget, while it is geographically closer to his family home.

But there are arguably more reasons not to.

For starters, the weight of expectation at the King Power Stadium would be much greater than at Turf Moor. Pearson, for all his faults - and there are plenty - is a tough act to follow in football management.

That’s not to say Dyche would not be prepared or capable of taking that on.

But his message about player exits is firm. He says there will be no more. So now it is up to the board to be just as resolute with regard to their manager.

Make him a new contract offer, with transparency to reassure supporters, and give him the financial as well as emotional backing to keep the Foxes - and anyone else - from the door.