FORMER Claret Willie Irvine believes Sean Dyche shares similar qualities to his former Turf Moor title-winning boss Harry Potts.

Irvine played under Potts between 1960 and 1968 and after Dyche signed a new four-and-a-half year deal at Burnley this week he could become the club's longest serving manager since the great Potts.

Dyche has been in charge of the Clarets for five years and three months and his new contract could take him to just short of a decade in the dugout.

He has the six-year spells of Stan Ternent, Jimmy Adamson and Frank Hill in his sights this October and that would leave just Potts' remarkable 12-year stint between 1958 and 1970 ahead of him in the club's post-war history.

Dyche may be unlikely to match Potts league title success of 1959/60 in his time at Burnley but Irvine believes he has already brought the glory days back to Turf Moor with a second successive season in the top flight.

Asked if Dyche could rivals Potts as Burnley's best ever boss, Irvine said: "I think he's already achieved that accolade, he's one of the best the club has had."

Irvine believes good man management is a trait shared by Potts and Dyche, with both men earning the respect of their players.

"Harry Potts was a great man. He would pick you up if your head was down. His man management was brilliant, like Sean," the 74-year-old said.

"So much of it is about man management and like Harry Sean has got players running through brick walls for him.

"Harry was a man you respected and this is what the players have now, they have respect for Sean Dyche and it shows every time they go out on that pitch."

Dyche's new deal ends the cycle of rolling contracts he has been on in recent years and sees the 46-year-old commit his long-term future to Burnley.

His future was the subject of much speculation towards the end of 2017 when he was linked with vacancies at Leicester City and Everton and Irvine believes the deal for Dyche to remain at Turf Moor is a great bit of business for the club.

"When I saw he'd signed a new deal I thought it was a great capture, he's been linked with big Premier League clubs so it's great they've got him to sign," the Northern Irishman said.

"The success he's had has been fantastic."

Irvine points to Dyche's immersion into the history and heritage of the football club as a way he was won over the town, as well as the success he has brought on the pitch.

And Irvine believes the link between manager and town is a bond that is now secure.

"I was at the club a few months ago and Veronica (Simpson of the former players' association) read out a few statistics on my career, then Sean Dyche got up and was speaking and said 'I wish you could play now'," he said.

"I thought it was a nice compliment. He's got to know the history of the club, which is wonderful. He doesn't come from anywhere near Burnley, but he's really become a part of the club and the town.

"I'm still a big Burnley fan and the people I speak to all praise him. The town loves him and that's tremendous. Everyone looks up at him and he'll never look down at them."