CLARETS manager Steve Cotterill admits Reading's Premiership prowess has come as no surprise to him.

The Royals lie in ninth place on the back of their 6-0 mauling of West Ham on New Year's Day.

And Burnley boss Cotterill puts much of their top flight success to the work ethic they adopted in their Championship title winning season last year.

"I haven't been surprised (by their form in the Premiership this season) because I thought one thing they were last year was a team," he said.

"Steve Coppell has done an unbelievable job down there - he's a really nice man. I remember when we played them up here and they beat us 3-0 and we had Michael Duff and Kyle Lafferty up front, he came off and he had a good few words of comfort for me that day.

"I think he felt for the position we were in, and I'll never forget him for that.

"They have good staff, a good, honest set of players down there and have done fantastically well. To be fair, that's only good for the Championship that they've gone and done exactly what they have."

And Cotterill said he was pleased to see former Clarets Glen Little and John Oster starring for the Royals.

"Any player that I've worked with in the past I would be pleased to see them doing well and John's no exception," he said.

"He is an excellent footballer and I'm delighted for him. He was good in his time for us but he has moved on and is doing well."

He added: "I don't think there was a problem about thinking whether Glen Little was good enough (for the Premiership) I think there was an offer from the Premiership before I came here. I don't know the logistics, but somebody thought he was going to be good enough.

"Good luck to them. Those two individuals that were known to us have done well and full credit to them. They've been first class."

Oster is likely to start tomorrow, but Little may have to settle for a place on the bench - at best - against his former club as Coppell plans to make wholesale changes to the team that hit six past Alan Curbishley's Hammers.

"Last week's performance was unbelievable," Cotterill said. "We just hope they haven't got another one round the corner!"