BURNLEY are optimistic that Sean Dyche will stay to inspire a return to the Premier League, after relegation was confirmed despite beating Hull City.

The Clarets boss appeared reluctant to speak about his own future in the immediate aftermath of a 1-0 win at the KC Stadium, which proved insufficient to stave off the drop due to results elsewhere going against them.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Dyche has impressed during his two-and-a-half years at Turf Moor in steering Burnley to the top flight on a modest budget, and taking their challenge almost to the wire.

His profile is high, and he has recently been linked to Derby County when Steve McClaren’s future seemed uncertain.

But joint-chairman John Banaszkiewicz says he is not concerned about the manager’s immediate future.

“Obviously he has been the main catalyst of the club and we don’t want him to go. We don’t think he will,” he said.

“We always communicate after every game and have the motto onwards and upwards, we hope to keep that motto next year, “He is doing the job and he is committed.”

Dyche says both he and his players have a ‘strong thirst’ to make a quick return to the Premier League, and he hopes the Clarets will be able to keep most of their squad together for the ‘very tough’ task of trying to achieve promotion once more - even if Danny Ings looks certain to leave.

But the manager did raise a few eyebrows by refusing to be drawn when asked if there was desire from him to stay and guide the Clarets back into the top flight.

“There’s a desire from me to get through today, go home and see my family and make sense of everything,” said Dyche, who is on a rolling contract at Turf Moor.

Asked again about his future, he said: “We’ll see, that’s another day’s story.

“I was asked that a few weeks ago, for the moment my thoughts are on my players, the group. There will be a time to think about the bigger picture.

“At the moment I’m Burnley Football Club manager, that’s all I’m thinking about.

“I’m only thinking about the people involved at this moment in time.”

The manager did however stress his desire to return to the Premier League, and says it is a desire that is shared by his squad.

“There will be a strong thirst to be back in there,” Dyche said.

“There certainly is from me and I know there is from my staff and my players.

“It is very tough, it’s not an easy task. The Championship is a very competitive division, we have seen that this season.

“There are no guarantees. Even when you put money into clubs, there are no guarantees.

“There are lots of players here under good contracts length wise, so we hope the group stays together pretty much.

“There will be some demands within that. Ings is the most spoken about.

“I think there will be predators. People will think they have got a group who were written off and came very close, how have they done that?

“They’ll think they’re decent players, probably players who weren’t recognised and are now more recognised.”

Dyche vowed that he and his players will learn from relegation after coming up short in their battle against the financial odds - a battle he insists was not simply too hard to win.

“I don’t think it’s too hard, I think we have been a good advert for how close it can be,” said the Clarets boss.

“We have been right in every game. It can be done.

“Like any walk of life, we all get knocks. The good times look after themselves, it’s when things happen that are big challenges in life, they’re the things you learn from.

“I do, my staff do, my players do, the club do and will as well, the board will.

“It’s not that there wasn’t money there but this market has moved forward. You are not looking at nicking a player for one, two or three million like three or four years ago.

“Now your starting point is seven, eight, nine and that is for Championship players.

“How many of those can you bring in? Well if you are Burnley you can probably bring in one, that is your budget done.

“Clubs that gamble are often backed by unbelievably wealthy people and can write off astronomical amounts of money.

“Our board are just not that way inclined, not because they don’t want to be.

“They have personal wealth but not like throwing 10 and 15 millions at clubs every season.”