SEAN Dyche insists that Dean Marney is no unsung hero at Burnley – because those within Turf Moor understand the role the midfielder has played in the club’s promotion push.

Marney may not have hit the headlines in quite the same fashion as strike pairing Danny Ings and Sam Vokes this season, but the 29-year-old’s return from injury coincided with an important draw at Leicester City on Saturday.

Two of Burnley’s three defeats this season have come when the former Hull man was absent and Dyche has been full of praise for the job Marney has done in the heart of the Clarets midfield.

He may have been described as an unsung hero by some, but the Burnley boss does not agree with that tag.

“He’s not unsung for us,” Dyche said.

“From the outside looking in maybe, but not from our way of thinking.

“We’ve enjoyed what Deano offers us, he’s a good character and he’s a very good player.

“We want good players at this club and we want them to have the freedom to perform and he’s shown really good signs of that.

“He came back flying in pre-season. We had a chat at the end of last season with all the players and I’m pleased to say they all responded.

“Dean was a shining example of that. From day one he looked absolutely on top of himself physically and mentally and ready to go.”

Contrary to some reports, Marney will not be suspended for Saturday’s home match against Blackpool.

It had been suggested that the midfielder’s yellow card at Leicester was his fifth of the season, but it was in fact his sixth. He served a one-match ban for five bookings when Burnley travelled to Doncaster Rovers in October.

Marney is far from the only player who has impressed Dyche this season, with fellow midfielder Scott Arfield also faring well since joining Burnley in the summer on a free transfer - having been released by Huddersfield.

“Players sometimes are not bad players, they’re just in an environment sometimes when it doesn’t suit them,” the Clarets boss said about Arfield.

“That’s no disrespect to Huddersfield by any means but some players fit in certain situations and we felt he’d fit here. There have been great signs of that.

“He is a hard working player who is very conscientious, wants to play and wants to improve.

“That’s a great mixture for me as a manager and that’s a mixture I love working with.

“He’s another player who has shown really strong signs of what he can do and how he can affect the team.”