SEAN Dyche has told Andre Gray he has to learn from his four-game ban for abusive social media posts and use it as part of his development as the striker prepares to return to action at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Last season’s top scorer is back in contention after missing more than a month after being charged with six abusive posts.

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And while Dyche hasn’t confirmed if the 25-year-old will return to the starting line-up, the striker is likely to be in the matchday squad.

The Burnley boss believes his star man has to learn from what has happened, but questioned why footballers even want to be a part of Twitter and open themselves up to the abuse that often follows.

Gray apologised after his posts, which dated back to his time with Hinckley United and Brentford, came to light in August, and said he had changed since then.

And his manager believes he is continuing to develop.

“It can only help (his development) that it’s the first thing like this that has come his way,” said Dyche. “We know it was unacceptable, but take that away and this type of situation he can only learn from.

“He’s got to learn from it, it’s happened, you pay your price and move forward. The ones who don’t learn are often the ones who have trouble in the future, and I don’t think he’s that type, he’s trying to move forward.

“He was disappointed, he felt he held his hands up early on and said ‘that’s not me anymore’.

“When these lads move up the ladder and grow as players that is part of it, the bigger the spotlight gets on you the more comes your way. He’s adapting to all of those challenges.

“It’s Premier League football, it’s this incident, handling the media, the fact people will gravitate towards him as he scores goals, it’s all part of a players maturation away from the pitch.”

Gray deleted his Twitter account after the posts came to light, but since his personal hearing at Wembley he has since reactivated it.

Dyche is aware of the good that social media can do, but admits he doesn’t think it’s a good platform for footballers.

“Everyone talks about on the pitch but there’s so much changed off the pitch. It’s a whole different profession off the pitch from even when I was playing,” he said.

“Social media is a modern thing. For footballers I don’t think it’s a useful tool. There are good things to it, for charity work, getting a message out, promoting things, for families keeping in touch.

“In football it opens an unnecessary moment. Unfortunately in life often people will vent, and if they can vent directly at you they will do it, they’re brave behind a tweet. I wouldn’t put myself up for that.”

The Clarets chief thinks it’s unlikely that Gray will receive any extra abuse from supporters as he makes his return and believes the 25-year-old should be allowed the chance to show he has changed as a person in the past four years.

“The biggest growing thing in the workplace is well being and life coaching, yet someone like this is not allowed the chance to go ‘I’m sorry’,” he said.

“I don’t know what abuse he will get. I think it’s fair to say his behaviour will be monitored more closely.

“I think that comes with the territory a little bit, going into the Premier League as a player and then an incident that’s not to do with football.”