FORMER Claret Frank Sinclair has backed Sean Dyche to be a future England manager.

The Turf boss has enjoyed another successful campaign in East Lancashire, steering Burnley to seventh place in the Premier League and a first European campaign in 51 years next term.

Gareth Southgate is currently preparing England for the World Cup and could have a long future with the national team himself, but Sinclair, a veteran of 102 Burnley appearances, believes Dyche could one day manage the Three Lions.

"I definitely think he can. He’s certainly building a reputation for himself, and every manager wants to try and reach the pinnacle, to continuously challenge and push them self as far as possible," the 46-year-old said.

"I think the opportunity is a long way away from where he is now. He’s doing a fantastic job at Burnley, but to manage at an international level he’ll have to have a vast experience across managing in not just the league, but European competitions as well.

"He’ll keep building on his own career and I don’t see further down the line why he couldn’t be England manager."

Dyche missed out on the Premier League manager of the year award, despite guiding the Clarets to their highest league finish in 43 years.

That honour instead went to Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City side smashed numerous records on their way to the Premier League title, but Sinclair feels Dyche would have claimed the managerial prize in any other season.

"He’s been progressing the club over the last four years and on any other season he would have won it, and deservedly so," Sinclair told sportingbet.com.

"However, you can’t ignore what Pep Guardiola has done this year, breaking so many different records at Man City and it’s unfortunate at potentially he’s best year at the club, that’s happened.

"Dyche will be looking at the bigger picture and seeing how he can improve himself and the club as a whole."

Dyche signed a new four-and-a-half year contract at Burnley in January, potentially keeping him at the club until the summer of 2022, which would take him just a few months short of 10 years at the helm.

While former Clarets captain Sinclair doesn't see Dyche leaving for any job, he believes he could be tempted if a bigger opportunity comes along.

"He’ll be ambitious, but he’s happy at the club and I don’t think he’ll just take any job that comes Obviously, if an opportunity comes to go to one of the bigger clubs, he may take it," he said.

"There’s a certain category of clubs who would recruit Dyche, but I don’t think he would get anywhere near the top 4, as they have a certain remit that they look for.

"I think Dyche could manage any club between 5th and 10th, and when the right job comes along, I’m sure he’ll look at it.

"I think he’s very focused on progressing Burnley Football Club as a team, and I don’t think he’d take a job where he hasn’t got a realistic chance of being successful."