FORMER Claret Lee Dixon believes the team spirit evident in Sean Dyche’s squad will be enough to see them safe in the Premier League come the end of the season.

Dixon made four appearances for Burnley as a youngster before leaving Turf Moor for Chester City in 1984.

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On Saturday he was back at his first club to watch them play the side where Dixon made his name, Arsenal, and the former England international is sure Dyche’s men have enough to beat the drop.

“I think they can do it because it’s so tight and they’ve got all those games against the big teams out of the way,” said the 51-year-old Dixon.

“It’s been a heck of a run recently with the teams they’ve had to play but that’s just how the fixtures come out.

“You’ve got to look at the whole season in the end and if they do go down it won’t be down to losing points against the top teams.

“I want them to stay up and they’ve given themselves a chance to do that. The spirit here will hopefully be enough.”

Dixon made more than 600 Arsenal appearances and spent time working under Arsene Wenger, but it was his opposite number, Sean Dyche, who has impressed the former Gunner.

“He’s done a great job,” said Dixon of the Turf chief. “He’s a passionate manager and a man. You can see that in the way he manages.

“He’s passionate about his job and he’s got the players playing for him. They’ve bought in to his way of playing and that’s one of the reasons why they’ve got a chance of just sneaking survival and staying in the league.

“It would be a massive bonus for the town if they can do that.

“The first season back, I know they’ve been here before, is always difficult and if you can stay in the league for two or three years then you can build on it.

“That accumulation of experience and building the squad helps because you can’t spend all the money in one hit. You’ve got to do it slowly so if you go back down it’s a huge blow.”

Dixon was part of the NBC team who broadcast Premier League football from a ground back to the United States for the first time on Saturday.

Remarkably it was the first time he had been back to Turf Moor since leaving the club.

“I’ve been through Burnley but I’ve never been to a game,” he said.

“I went around the dressing rooms and obviously they’ve changed.

“The home one has changed but the away team dressing room is still the same which is a bit weird.

“I used to get changed in there when we were doing trials here.

“Some of the stands are very similar but some of it has changed. There’s still the slope on the pitch which I remember and the town still looks the same.

“You’d say Burnley are an old-fashioned team and the traditions of English football are epitomised by the club and that’s why we’re here.

“We’re trying to get that message over to the audiences in America.”