Sean Dyche: How I Took Burnley To The Premier League

Jake and Damian sit down with the ex-Burnley manager Sean Dyche (while he was still the boss) to chat about his secrets and lessons to success, how small things have BIG impacts, why footballers need egos and how to manage them.
Dyche has overseen two promotions from the Championship and in 2018 he steered Burnley into the Europa League, bringing European football back to Turf Moor for the first time in 51 years.
Sean Mark Dyche (born 28 June 1971) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Premier League club Everton.
During his playing career, Dyche played as a centre-back, making his professional debut in 1990 and representing Chesterfield - whom he captained and scored for in an FA Cup semi-final. Other teams he has played for include Bristol City, Luton Town, Millwall, Watford and Northampton Town. He was promoted with three of his six clubs. After retiring as a player in 2007, he coached at Watford, including a stint as manager between June 2011 and July 2012.
After leaving Watford, Dyche signed for Burnley in October 2012. During his time there Dyche guided the club to two promotions to the Premier League in three seasons, the latter following relegation back to the Championship at the end of 2014-15. Following the relegation of AFC Bournemouth and their manager Eddie Howe at the end of the 2019-20 season, Dyche became the longest-serving manager in the Premier League. He was dismissed by Burnley in April 2022 after they had performed poorly throughout the season. Dyche joined Everton in January 2023.
This episode was recorded at Burnley's training ground in series one of the podcast, pre COVID-19.
About:
The High Performance Podcast offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of high-achieving, successful individuals. It doesn’t matter where our guest has excelled - in sport, music, business or entertainment - they all have first-hand experiences and lessons to share. Find out what non-negotiable behaviours they employed to get them to the top, and keep them there.
Hosting every conversation is sports broadcaster Jake Humphrey and leading organisational psychologist Professor Damian Hughes. Jake is currently BT Sport’s Premier League anchor and former face of BBC’s Formula One coverage. Damian continues to work with leading sports organisations and teams to create a high performing culture.
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[@kemal3599]

Here after Burnley just sacked him. They had a poor season, but keeping Burnley up for 7+ seasons was a fantastic achievement. Top manager, I’m sure he won’t be out of work for too long.

[@SoAaron_]

A manager like him deserved a special send off for the fans, to get sacked like that after 10 years is kinda sad. Can't argue against the results after tho, seems to have worked so far

[@fargodavilleitnotd6729]

hes a top man who did a job most cant with a shoestring and determination! he must have learnt something from Cloughie ;)

[@hendrixqotsa]

He’s quality in everything he says or does - so switched on!!!

[@r4h4al]

He still hasn't found a new job which is strange.

[@fargodavilleitnotd6729]

@@r4h4al maybe there hasnt been one he fancied? hes not hard up or owte, maybe hes having some family time or some time away from football?

[@el-hajjmalikel-shabazz9127]

This was incredibly insightful. So much newfound respect for Sean Dyche having listened to this.

[@paulparker7594]

@Ryan Bhambra have to say he seems the opposite of old school in a lot of ways,very open approach

[@ryanbhambra9594]

@@paulparker7594 agreed but it seems like he keeps somewhat old traditions that some modern managers wouldnt think about implementing esp the european ones

[@paulparker7594]

@@ryanbhambra9594 very true

[@JTConlon407]

Dyche for PM?

[@foreverred105]

SIMP

[@ProdByPalmarius]

Sean Dyche and Burnley are a dying breed. A true, decent football club with genuine supporters

[@MsClaret2010]

He's such a clever, down to earth and interesting guy, I'm beyond proud to have him as the manager of my club. Long may he continue to manage the Clarets!

[@freddiesawyer8055]

you ruined it!

[@chaosemperordragon8712]

Sean Dyche is one of the only few managers in the premier league who takes no nonsense dressing habits and attitude from the players since Sir Alex. Learned a lot from this podcast. Many people only notice and listen to title winning managers and players. I would love to see more managers on here that have't won titles but are really building a successful team and give a different insight and knowledge they have.

[@nurtbmtv]

100%

[@roycropper698]

Same goes for players as well. Some of those who weren’t winning titles and trophies season after season can be incredibly insightful and interesting as well.

[@jellyneck7978]

Wow. Liverpool supporter here. I could listen to Sean Dyche talk all day. This was a very insightful interview, as I really admire and respect what he's done at Burnley now I like him even more.

[@jellyneck7978]

@Ricky Bowen Irrelevant isn't exactly how I'd describe anything about my love and support for Liverpool. I get what you mean in this context, though. I just didn't want to get long-winded about a comparison between Jurgen Klopp and Sean Dyche with regard to how engaged I am when I listen to either one of them speak. But that was where I was going with that.

[@marcusclark5330]

They play boring football though Burnley that is

[@ivanbravo4536]

@@marcusclark5330 no way. Burnley's psysical style of play is quite nice to watch.

[@dnashton2695]

Do you still like him 😂

[@jellyneck7978]

@@dnashton2695 Yes I do. I didn't have a lot of fun losing to him and Burnley, though.

[@MMAoracle]

He sounds like an actual business leader, not some former footballer turned coach.

[@SteveWhipp]

I know, right. He's been superb with the fans too. Funny, down to Earth, sarcastic but above all, he comes across completely honest by managing expectations superbly.

[@enzofrancescoli1260]

Never thought that Sean Dyche would be so well spoken

[@rhynouk1]

Incredibly insightful. Not just in football, but also in life.

[@mynameisnoneofyourbusiness6747]

It couldn't have been put any better.

[@ivanbravo4536]

Sean Dyche is the real deal. What he has achieved with Burnley is AMAZING.

[@K.ALISON]

One of the most loyal men in football. Over 200 games for town (chesterfield). Brilliant defender ànd nerves of steel.

[@kingaufswag]

Sean Dyche just has that no nonsense type of personality look about him. But at the same time he's a super knowledgeable and honest man. Appreciate him premier league fans, there's not many like him in this day and age

[@linhza501]

I feel like people tend to forget that managing a football club and win matches is not just about the tactics, but also the human side of it as well.

[@guyfawkes6428]

Exactly. Zidane is often discredited for his incredible achievements at Real Madrid because he is supposedly 'just' a man manager and not any kind of tactical genius, who got lucky with the quality of the squad he has, but man management is just as important(if not more so than) as tactical nous to being a successful manager.

[@Probanot]

Thats why Alex Ferguson made his to be a title winning squad, after he left, the players are just mediocre and average players that didn’t perform quite good as under Ferguson’s tutelage

[@JTConlon407]

Thats why coyle is Judas

[@theliverpoolkop6331]

This guy is a great coach, he done brillant with Burnley on a budget for years! Top man

[@adamgrimsley2900]

Sean Dyche... Visionary

[@user-sw2lv3zp6o]

One of the most impressive managers in the country.

[@slamdunkd12345]

so glad he's our manager now

[@gordonfrawley7056]

Very humble and down to earth with good morals but very clever in terms of getting the best out of people... This is what a leader sounds like... Top notch from Sean Dyche

[@willsbill3292]

manners cost nothing but get you everything

[@synthesizerpatel7405]

Always comes across incredibly well whenever I’ve heard him speak. He’s a great personality with very clear, respectable values.

[@kurtmcfc1629]

can tell by the way he conducts himself he was brought up right. Top lad Burnley lucky to have him.

[@torturedmonkey3527]

Like how straight talking Sean Dyche is he is a dying breed to many footballers don’t even break sweat when playing

[@mcconaloguecharlie1]

I love his honesty and passion for the game. To sum up it’s all about RESPECT ✊ keep leading Sean and the team will follow.

[@Simko3426]

i admire this man and he has my whole respect. he and burnley are a pride and joy for the pl,because they represent the real football culture.

[@SamMartinPeakPerformance]

he was great on Crouchy's podcast too. Done amazing things with such limited resources - really shows the power a manager can have by first and foremost being a good man

[@KSRugby]

also shows that loyalty and sticking with a manager can work well. In 2015 when they were relegated from EPL they stuck by Dyche after that and look at where they are now. Understand it's Burnley and the pressures ain't what they are with a man utd, city, liverpool, spurs etc, but still great to see that there are club boards out there who don't hastily go for the chop when things go badly. Respect to Dyche too for how he's persisted with Burnley and how he's got them organized and a simple yet effective philosophy that Burnley players and supporters buy into.

[@SteveWhipp]

@@KSRugby A masterclass in PR has been that he's been managing fan expectations superbly in the early years. He's genuinely adored by the Clarets. Once in a century manager.

[@KSRugby]

@@SteveWhipp yep, n good too see, n likesay good that Burnley board have stuck with them, because even though they've been a stable premiership club for last 4 seasons they've still had their dips n wee spells in the bottom 3. There's been other clubs who would have got twitchy if that were the case, just look at Watford (good to see they've now paid the price for their manager merrygoround in my opinion)

[@SteveWhipp]

@@KSRugby Indeed so. What makes your example more ironic is that it was Watford that sacked Dyche for a "better" foreign manager even though, at the time, Watford were doing "ok".

[@KSRugby]

@@SteveWhipp watford was just an example off the top of my head, there are of course many other examples. I don't have a lot of respect for the way of modern football chopping and changing managers everytime a team goes on a bad run. N im not talking about 15-20 games, where I get a really bad run over that time can cause a lot of friction and tensions and a change probably needed somewhere. These days managers are near the chopping block from the start. Can go on a run of 4 or 5 bad results in a row and you could be out of a job. It's mental in my opinion. Players also need to take on more responsibility when things are going badly.

[@williamfence566]

A leader not a manager . Inspirational.

[@paulkaruga6770]

I'm a big fan of Dyche and how he conducts himself and after this podcast the values he lives by and tries to instill to his team. Top stuff!!

[@christheyer5508]

His personality reflects Burnleys identity on the pitch too. Such a good podcast

[@andrewflynn7821]

Huge respect for Sean Dyche

[@andrewt836]

Sean Dyche is an expert in sports psychology. Great interview.

[@hendrixqotsa]

He’s quality in everything he says or does - so switched on!!!

[@jimmarland970]

Yes, I'm a Burnley supporter, but this was just a brilliant interview with an honest, down-to-earth man. Forget football, this interview could be played to anyone looking to be successful in their chosen career.

[@niterida048]

Sean Dyche is a really good talker a mans man real values i like him even more

[@declanmulraney1363]

This was a brilliant watch, he came across so well clued in, I was at Burnley away the season gone and had a great time, chatting to Burnley fans and they love him and rightly so, very good watch this👍

[@johnrobinson6675]

Great listen. Great questions. A true leader of men who even had the two interviewers transfixed. Can see why the team would would run through walls for him and never give up. His touchline leadership has been a lot more noticeable recently with no crowds. He just does not stop leading, encouraging, challenging. He gives the impression he could be successful in whatever area of leadership he turned his hands to, be that in business or sport.

[@roan383]

Sean dyche is a legend

[@eliottsantos2654]

Very interesting...found out there is so much more to Sean Dyche...always thought he was a great coach managing an EPL club with limited resources but this has been an eye opener which proves why he has been so successful....respect.

[@HighPerformancePodcast]

Absolutely

[@JamesSmith-jr2ex]

Sean Dyche for prime minister!

[@samillyroy]

Fantastic, really intelligent guy and I imagine an excellent teacher. Demonstrates perfectly the real power of being humble.

[@damianmcdonagh7908]

Sean Dyche rocks.

[@alexanderkis3327]

Completely in shock how professional Sean is.

[@joejackson6453]

Great Interview Best of Luck with the Toffees 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@PalmBaiReader]

Sorry dychey but I'm taking your job on Fifa 😂 listening to this has put me in the mood for a Burnley career

[@PalmBaiReader]

@HWG 10IAR exactly 👍

[@JamalAlii]

SAMEEEE

[@15Monkeylord10]

The level of humility Mr. Dyche displays is Supernova !! He definitely plays as hard as he works 🍻

[@philmitchell9653]

Mickey Joyce yeah and not just beer,, 👃bit of the old beak

[@anneframpton7097]

SIR SIR, I've found the virgins.

[@jackbrokenshire1187]

Listening to this plus his 4-4-2 masterclass video I am hopefully he will sort out the shower at Everton & make us hard to beat & hopefully keep us up. Good luck Sean lad we're behind you. UTFT COYB NSNO 💙

[@williammclaughlin811]

This man here is a very mentally strong man. His character shows in his players. This man deserves sucesss for the hard work he has put in to Burnley fc

[@ivanbravo4536]

He already has. Even Guardiola aknowledged him and always get scared playing Burnley.

[@alexilaiho6441]

Love you Dyche , from a United fan !!

[@DubaiRunner-hi1xb]

Top notch interview that . Comes across as a top leader and manager .

[@Liam-yr4uf]

This guy is a gem idc what anybody says. What he's done with Burnley in the premier league has been very good considering the resources at his disposal. Not only that, he comes across as down-to-earth.

[@sihlengema9155]

Wow!!! Always thought he is a "what you looking at" type of person but there's a lot of depth and substance to this man. Never judge a book by it's voice and 2 min interviews after a stressful situation

[@minchutong9296]

Sean is a great great coach. As a Utd fan, i do hope Ole pick up some good points from this podcast that Sean has been applying to his team from his core skills. I do believe core values, discipline, work ethics, no-nonsense habits,all these intrinsic values are important to lead the team to another level

[@ballyon5491]

😂 do you think ole is looking at dyche. When he has the gaffer at united. SAF is the blueprint

[@minchutong9296]

Bally ON of course Sir Alex as the mentor and blueprint. That being said, i will safely say the in terms of discipline and core values in Burnley might be just as good as anybody else on the top 5-6 teams on the table.

[@jamiesimms7084]

@@ballyon5491 it's always good to have open ears 👂👂 and eyes 👀

[@mashrurhoque]

Just love his dry humour!

[@markusokellius]

Agree with Jelly Neck; Sean is an insightful and articulate man who would succeed in any field he's in. As a youth worker, I found his insights helpful and relevant. Top job guys - Subscribed and looking forward to listening to the other interviews!

[@tomabwhite]

I've just been on a binge of his interviews and I can safely say he's my favourite manager in the game. What a top bloke.

[@FuckFeminists]

This is a high point. Sean Dyche gives good answers from a genuine place, tested through learning. But also...the questions from both of the interviewers were just excellent. Thanks to them. You guys really used that time to get something worthwhile.

[@boldrkevin]

Love what he says about how they show up to games and how it’s in unison. Growing up playing hockey in Canada we all had team tracksuits or actually dress shirt and pants. That is the little thing that sets the tone from the top down.

[@boldrkevin]

Also here after/before Dyche has been announced for Everton (the slowest PR team in england).

[@boldrkevin]

Now I’m just commenting as I go through the episode. Love the 8:1 positive to negative ratio. Dyche has a great psychological grasp of his athletes/players

[@elshaarawy9255]

What a voice!

[@georgeevans-jones4365]

Watched this for the second time after the news Sean has been sacked by Burnley. One of my absolute favourite episodes in the High Performance catalogue. His comments around 40 minutes in discussing a hypothetical situation where he loses his job are especially impactful now - "trust me, I'll be alright"

[@sicebilendlovu3723]

You guys are doing a great job so far. Fingers crossed we'll see an episode with Arteta, Nuno Esperito Santo etc

[@seantoner867]

Brilliant. Dyche should visit a GAA team in Ireland, someone like ST.Vincents or cuala. These lads train and play like professionals and are probably fitter than most premier league teams but don’t get paid, purely for the love of the sport.

[@tonyclough7589]

Top man Sean,great manager for my club Burnley, great ethics,very structured!! ' if its not broke, don't fix it!!

[@cameron2348]

Top guy. Would love to have a conversation in the pub with him lol

[@SamMartinPeakPerformance]

check out his appearance on peter coruch's podcast - closer to a pub convo vibe! he's v funny on it

[@cameron2348]

@@SamMartinPeakPerformance will do

[@ianmurphy9955]

Listening to this and watched his videos on Coaches voice, let's see what he does at Everton because we need a miracle

[@si_w8201]

He's doing fine so far...

[@ronanstanton5700]

Brilliant leader Sean is a top man what a great interview, so many takeaways from this for all aspects of life,

[@PassAndMove]

You lads do top top work. As a journalist it's inspiring to see such a high quality podcast. Liked this video before even watching, keep up the good work!

[@KingJesusMessiah]

He’s quite an intelligent bloke. Very humble, Clough, Ferguson, Bielsa all taught about respect and focused on the small aspects of respect which saw them win league titles. Great insight and hope to see him back soon.

[@bmccabe1767]

That was excellent, insightful, impressive and thoroughly entertaining. Top man Sean.

[@BruceLee-dg5bv]

I can listen to Sean Dyche all day long. Always liked his attitude. Burnley have lost a great man. Would love to see him given another chance soon

[@trogman43988]

Incredible interview. Best interview so far on this podcast.

[@HighPerformancePodcast]

Thank you!

[@ScarzChosenspokesmen]

The Ole one was pretty good too

[@Rhys640]

@@ScarzChosenspokesmen link?

[@alexsaynor6717]

'You have to have doubt; it's just a human trait.' So true - the flipside of faith etc

[@jackgough7640]

Never leave us Sean. UTC!

[@acook6997]

He's a very intelligent manager, deserves a step up

[@Coopdegras]

Unbelievable attitude yes I'm a year late but this will be an interview I remember

[@jayakrishnanjayaraj3018]

Such an insightful interview. Big fan of this guy!!

[@tkgondo6277]

My new favourite podcast!

[@topsysdad1]

Brilliant and obvious management skills, I suspect he was amazing to work for

[@tonyajm8289]

Fascinating. Great stuff.

[@emmettrussell8817]

I have always liked him as a manager love the way he talks

[@anneframpton7097]

Really enjoyed watching the show, thanks.

[@hippiesldn1636]

Great videos discovered last night, please keep doing these

[@unchattytwit]

Very good tips for everyone, including myself, ''Shut your mouth and listen"; 'respect the person your communicating with'; 'think things through' and 'Be honest with yourself".Top man Dyche, one of the best managers in the UK.Positive, intelligent, enthusiastic, committed. Incredible achievement with Burnley on one of the lowest budgets in the Prem. No security though? There was a guy in a hi-viz vest outside the office! But why not?

[@kalizto303]

This is a brilliant interview. I think we all knew that Sean is a good manager, but for him to be able to go off script with so much passion was insightful and very interesting. Kudos to this podcast though, the Solskjaer and Van Persie ones were really interesting as well.

[@Josh-tz8ph]

Incredible interview! Wow

[@gingerbill128]

Very good interview , held my interest from start to finish.

[@vittoriofioravanti2493]

Great interview! Salutations from Toronto...

[@ivPRodiiGy]

Excellent podcast. Well done Jake & Damian.

[@samwalker5105]

What a guy

[@SteveWhipp]

Sean Dyche for England!! It'd be fun, if nothing else!

[@ianspencer829]

Brilliant interview!! Was expecting another me me me interview but this was really informative and he's seems a good role model.

[@wayneh71]

Pleasantly surprised by this interview, very insightful and really enjoyed it. Thanks fellas.

[@joshclayg]

Quality on the fly questions made this, good work.

[@MrReddevilking]

great Podcast and content keep it!

[@richardhunter403]

Interesting to listen to. Have always followed your career since you were our inspirational skipper at Chesterfield.

[@fuarkkkkk]

brilliant, well done lads

[@howdydeloo2112]

Man dyche us a pure legend

[@azharkhan5249]

Great interviews. As always 👊🏽

[@HighPerformancePodcast]

Glad you like them!

[@walkermorgan1710]

Also love this podcast! Please do more of them!!!!!

[@tomcleall2028]

Really enjoyed that

[@nkshooter4960]

Sean Dyche a legend

[@nilsandlexi]

Wow, what a great interviewee Dyche is. He has an impressive grasp of human nature, team dynamics: everything he needs to help him get his players to buy in and trust him.