SEAN Dyche believes the lack of expectation on Burnley this season could give Andre Gray the freedom to show he belongs in the Premier League.

Last season’s Championship top scorer is experiencing his first taste of the top flight this season.

He came close to scoring on his Premier League debut against Swansea on Saturday and heads into the campaign having hit nine goals in just six pre-season friendlies for the Clarets.

And Dyche believes the 25-year-old, who was playing non-league football three years ago, is still developing as a frontman.

“I believe wholeheartedly in him, I think he’s done a fantastic job and he’s learning well and improving,” said the Clarets chief. “His understanding of the game is improving all the time.

“I think he’s got an open mind.

“The good thing about Andre and being written off and underdogs, it gives them a freedom and allows them to go and play - you want him to experience it with that freedom.

“People think we haven’t got a chance but weirdly that can help players, they go and see what happens.”

Gray hit 25 goals in the second tier last season, 23 of them for Burnley after his £6million move from Brentford.

Dyche has praised his mentality in the past and he doesn’t think the pressure of being the man the Clarets turn to for their goals in the Premier League will negatively affect him.

“That’s the life of a striker, especially one who scores a lot of goals,” he said. “He knows there is a team around him and I know there is a team around him, but everyone talks about Andre.

“He’s got good players around him and he always mentions it, without good players around him he couldn’t do what he does. He has a real awareness of the team.

“He’s got a clear mind on it all. He doesn’t carry that baggage around. He just plays and he gets on with it.

“He’s one of the strongest I’ve seen in missing a chance or two or three but he puts the fourth or five away. That is a marvellous trait to have as a striker.

“Some strikers would get affected really quickly, he doesn’t get affected, if he misses a chance it’s ‘no problem, I’ll put the one next one away’, and I want him to continue doing that.”

At the start of pre-season Gray spoke of his improved fitness this summer, having had a conversation with Dyche towards the end of last season’s successful campaign on where he can improve his game.

He admitted then that he could have been fitter and said he returned to pre-season training as fit and as sharp as he has ever been.

The benefits of that were clear to see as Gray blazed a trail to goal against Stade Nyonnais, Morecambe, Bradford, Bolton, Rangers and Real Sociedad, and Dyche was delighted to see his advice taken on board.

“I speak to players at the end of the season on what they’ve done and what they will need to do and how we can move forward for them as individuals and for the club,” he said.

“That was a part of it and he has responded. It’s great when players listen to you.

“He’s taken it on and all credit to him. That can only be helpful, he is in really good shape.”