'ALL you need is love' - lyrics that were made famous by the Beatles and a sentiment that Burnley manager Steve Cotterill believes will bring the best out of Ade Akinbiyi.

The strapping centre forward has not yet hit the highs he achieved in his first spell with Burnley, when he scored 16 league goals in 39 appearances before being sold to Sheffield United for a £1.15 million profit less than 12 months later.

Since returning to Turf Moor from Bramall Lane in January, the 32-year-old has only got on the scoresheet twice in 13 starts - once on his second debut at Reading in the FA Cup, then in the 1-1 Championship draw at home to Crystal Palace two months later.

The former Stoke and Leicester striker has not featured in the starting line-up since being left out for the visit of Plymouth two weeks ago, when Burnley ended their run of 18 league games without a win.

But, with Cotterill unable to select loan signing Paul McVeigh tonight, due to the stipulations of the agreement with opponents Norwich City (and the striker's employers) the Burnley boss has Akinbiyi as one of the options available to him to replace the effervescent Northern Ireland international.

Soon after Akinbiyi made his Clarets comeback in the New Year, Cotterill imposed a weights ban after the striker had taken his frustrations at a lack of first team opportunties with the Blades out in the gym and bulked up.

He has succeeded in shedding some of that muscle, but has not yet reached the expectations of the vast majority of fans who saw him as the answer to the goal drought Burnley suffered without the injured Andy Gray.

And Cotterill admits that it may not be until next term that supporters see Akinbiyi return to the peak of his form.

"Ade's been as good as gold. He knew when he came back that he wasn't as fit as he should be, he had bulked up, which had lost him a yard," the Clarets chief said.

"He was desperate to come back here and score goals and do well again, but he needs to be loved. He's one of those players.

"There are a lot of those players, and they won't always want to admit it, but their confidence is a vital part of their game.

"I think it's in most players, but because people see Ade as a big, bruising figure, they don't think he can have a loss of confidence.

"And he can do, like anyone.

"I had to take Ade out of the firing line because he wasn't perhaps playing so well, but it was nice to have Paul McVeigh to drop in.

"Paul coming in has allowed us to play a bit different, and he's taken a little bit of the weight off Andy Gray.

"He's come in and done well, but we haven't had many bad loan signings here."

Cotterill added: "Ade's probably not had the support at Sheffield United that he's had from the Burnley fans, so he came back partly because of my relationship with him, and also because he had a great time and the fans loved him.

"Whether he gets back to that now or next season, we'll wait and see, but Ade needs to be told well done'.

"We can judge him when he's fit. They'll all have a summer programme, and there's no hiding place."