BURNLEY’S stars have a crucial role to play in growing the club in the town – according to the Clarets’ new Head of Community.

Neil Hart, who has joined the club from Watford, believes that Sean Dyche’s first team squad – currently riding high in the Championship table – will need to be club ambassadors.

And Hart believes Dyche will be fully on board with his new-look scheme – which could see the players making more appearances at local events.

Hart said: “I know Sean Dyche from my time at Watford and I think he and the players have a crucial role to play in this.

“We, as a club, have a real duty to get out there and do our bit for the community and I know Sean will be 100 per cent behind that because he was brilliant at Watford on the community side.

“I am ready for all the challenges and really open to see anybody, anytime, anywhere in the town who wants to talk to us about community work and working with us because for me, we are all about partnerships.”

Hart has already made his mark at the club having rebranded the scheme Burnley in the Community and he intends to continue to try and grow interest in the Clarets.

He added: “The department here does need rebuilding and I think what is important is that we get out there and start talking to talking to partners and schools right away.

“We are here, we have a plan and we want to have a positive impact in Burnley and the surrounding areas. “We are at the very beginning, but I am aware that it does need a lift and hopefully I can do that.”

“Burnley is a great club with a great tradition which is crying out for a vibrant community programme and to really take the football club out to schools and community organisations, colleges, universities and into areas of deprivation and communities of need. “Working with all partners across the town really appeals to me and this is a really traditional club close to the town centre.”