Sean Dyche: Premier League’s longest-serving manager has been sacked

After almost 10 years over at Turf Moor, Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties.

Burnley have sacked manager Sean Dyche as the club battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Clarets are 18th in the league standings, four points from safety. They’ve won just one of their last seven top-flight games. Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to fellow relegation strugglers Norwich was the last straw.

Burnley’s decision to sack Dyche pulls the curtain on a near-decade-long spell. The 50-year-old was the Premier League’s longest-serving manager. He joined in October 2012 to replace Eddie Howe. The club won promotion twice from the Championship under him.

Sean Dyche was in charge of Burnley for nine years and 166 days, the longest-serving manager in the Premier League and the third-longest-serving in the English football league.

The Royal Dyche's reign is over. 👑 pic.twitter.com/MYyKjLjZo4

— Squawka (@Squawka) April 15, 2022

After leading Burnley to a seventh-place finish, and securing Europa League football for the first time in 51 years, in 2017/18, Dyche signed a four-year deal in September 2018.

But standards have slipped recently. The Lancashire side finished 17th last season, and now find themselves at serious risk of relegation this term.

Dyche’s assistant Ian Woan, first-team coach Steve Stone and goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer have also left Turf Moor.

Burnley have asked U23s coach Mike Jackson, academy director Paul Jenkins, U23s goalkeeping coach Connor King, and club captain Ben Mee to take charge for Sunday’s game against West Ham.