IF there was one player who I considered to be a Burnley fan as much as myself, it's Steve Davis.

He is Burnley through and through, has had three spells at the club and is a former captain. He lives in the area, his family is here, and he is a legend in the eyes of the fans.

After Saturday, you can add to that list of qualities a fantastic result in his first game in charge as well.

Last Tuesday against Hull was one of the poorest performances I've seen by a Burnley side for a long time, and after a turbulent week with the manager leaving it must have been a hell of a team talk he gave at Leicester City.

It was a fantastic result for Steve, and for the club. It's amazing how wins can change people's minds - it's gone from doom and gloom one minute back to a positive outlook for what could still be achieved this season. And if they are going to give him a chance at the manager's job, I would be all for it.

I played alongside Steve for four years. He never gave an inclination when we were still playing that he wanted to move into management, but, to be honest, when you're coming to the end of your playing career, you just want to concentrate on being able to carry on for as long as you can and not think about anything else. I know I did.

When he was made assistant manager the other week, I thought he would be a ready-made replacement for Steve Cotterill. I never imagined that transition would happen as quickly as it did, and it may have come a bit too soon for him.

I have a feeling they will prefer someone with more experience, otherwise Steve has got all the right credentials All ex-players want to stay in the game in some capacity, and if Steve got the job, I would love to be able to help him out in some way.

I could sort out the strikers while he looked after the centre halves. That's something I would love to do.

I hope they go for Steve, but if he doesn't get it, the only other name that stands out for me is Mike Phelan.

He's a good age, obviously has Burnley connections and knows the area, and after working under Sir Alex Ferguson for the last eight years he is bound to have picked up some valuable tips on how to operate.

Whether he wants to be a manager, I don't know, but he certainly has the right calibre and a wealth of experience.

And if he came in, I think Steve should be given a job in some capacity to work alongside him and learn from him.

Other names have been mentioned, but I'm not sure someone like Joe Royle or Mike Newell would fit the bill. I think age is against Royle and, while it shouldn't really matter, I think Newell being a former Blackburn Rovers player wouldn't go down well with a lot of fans. Peter Reid is a great manager but I think he would bring a lot of his own men with him and I'm not sure they want a massive overhaul of staff.

l My DVD Natural Born Claret is due for a re-release. Another 2000 copies have been done and will be numbered and signed.

They are priced at £19.99, with £2.50 from each sale being donated to Pendleside Hospice.

For further information, or to order, log on to my new website, www.andypayton.com