BURNLEY skipper Tom Heaton believes the continuity Burnley have had with boss Sean Dyche has been vital in their success, despite seeing some of their Premier League rivals regularly pulling the trigger on managers.

Dyche is now the seventh longest serving manager in the Football League and Saturday's clash with Tottenham at Turf Moor will be his 210th game in charge of the club.

Burnley's success so far this season could act as an example to other clubs. Of the seven clubs below the Clarets in the Premier League five have changed their manager at some point this season.

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But there has never been a question mark over Dyche's position, even when Burnley were relegated two years ago, and they are being rewarded for that now, and Heaton believes there were always signs of progression under the Clarets chief during his time at the club.

"That continuity is vital," said Heaton. "Since I signed here there's been progression and you can see that on the pitch and off the pitch.

"The new training ground coming through here. It is vitally important. We got promoted the first year that I was here and I class the Premier League season as a successful one even though we got relegated.

"We were moving things forward and there was a bigger picture in place. I think that building strategy helped us the year after to then mount a challenge, which we did finishing as champions. I think there's been a really good progression on that path."

After Middlesbrough's decision to part company with Aitor Karanka only Watford and Sunderland of the bottom seven haven't had a managerial change during the season, and Heaton believes the riches on offer in the Premier League may play a part in that.

"It's difficult for me to say, everyone has got their own reasons," he said. "The Premier League is this "Promised Land", it's where we all want to be.

"I'm sure everyone has got their reasons to do it. With not being there I don't know the reasons to decide to get rid of somebody.

"I can understand what it means to be in the Premier League. Of course it's tough but certainly from my experience here that continuity has been excellent."