SEAN Dyche said he would ‘forever be in Graham Taylor’s debt’ after paying tribute to the man who gave him his first job in football management.

Taylor is better known for his work in the dugout with England and clubs such as Watford, Wolves and Aston Villa.

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But the 72-year-old, who died today of a suspected heart attack, was Hornets chairman when Dyche was appointed manager at Vicarage Road in June 2011.

“From my point of view, he's a man who had a massive part in me taking over at Watford,” said Dyche after hearing the news of Taylor’s death.

“For such a legend at Watford to be helping you have that chance, and helping me along the way as a young manager, I'm absolutely devastated with the news.

“I spoke to him not so long ago, I'd ring him semi regularly and catch up with him about nothing in particular.

“To hear that today, I'm sure the whole of football will be really devastated with that news, especially at a pretty young age as well.”

Dyche said Taylor took a step back during his season in charge at Watford and allowed him to learn the ropes as a young manager.

“That was biggest thing for me,” said the Clarets chief.

“For someone who had done what he had done at a club like Watford and then allow me to manage myself, not get involved, not constantly quiz you.

“The strength of him to step away, give me my chance to learn as a manager, I could never respect him any more for that.

“It's incredible really. You can imagine this temptation to come and get involved in that moment from what he'd done at Watford, it must have been so hard to step away from. But he let me work.

“As a young manager, I was a novice really and he let me get on with it, and for that I'll forever be in his debt.”