NEW Burnley chief executive Paul Fletcher has revealed how he has earned three careers from Burnley Football Club.

The former Clarets centre forward, who returned to Turf Moor last December to oversee the £30million stadium redevelopment, will now be more heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the club after being officially unveiled in his new role yesterday.

“I owe three careers to Burnley Football Club,” said Lancashire Telegraph Sport columnist Fletcher, who has been involved in the development of stadia including the new Wembley, Huddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium - formerly the McAlpine, Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok and Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena.

“I had a fantastic time as a player. I wasn’t the best but I turned up every Saturday and played consistently for 10 years, and I’ve travelled the country telling stories about the club as an after-dinner speaker.

“As a player, I watched Bob Lord build up new stands and I decided then that I wanted to get involved in that side of things.

“Being chief executive is a role I’ve spoken to people at the club about on a couple of occasions in the past but other things have come in the way.

“I never wanted to come back to Burnley to get me to retirement.

“When I heard of the new plans and the investment being put into the club then it seemed an excellent opportunity.

“With my experience on stadium development and my knowledge of how to put a project together, it seemed like an ideal time.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity Brendan Flood gave me to come back, and my repayment is doing what I can to help in other areas of the club.”

Fletcher, who becomes the club’s first chief executive since Dave Edmundson left that position in May last year, revealed his initial aim is to put an emphasis on being more “fan-focused”.

“One thing about this football club is that I don’t think any of the directors here aren’t great lovers of Burnley Football Club,” he said.

“If you were to offer them a seat on the board of a Premier League club they wouldn’t be interested.

“It’s their club, the one their dad brought them to as a kid and where they will be all their life.

“Barry Kilby and Brendan Flood’s fathers used to sit alongside my father when I played there. It’s a real family club and that’s what’s kept Burnley punching above its weight for a number of years.

“We must listen to what fans tell us, and I plan to have more open nights where they can come along and have a chat, and maybe get Owen Coyle down and some of the directors to keep it the open, friendly club it has always been.”