SEAN Dyche was a young professional making his way in the game when Nigel Clough made a lasting impression on him that the Clarets boss still holds in high regard nearly three decades on.

Dyche was a teenager on loan at Chesterfield from Nottingham Forest, while Clough was now an established first team star for the Reds.

One afternoon Dyche was back at the City Ground to see how his parent club were getting on, while Clough was out of the side and in the stands as well.

Ahead of the two men meeting in the dugout at the Pirelli Stadium tonight as Dyche's Burnley face Clough's Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup third round, the Burnley boss can still remember the conversation in Nottingham that day.

"I’ve always had so much respect for him. He’s very straightforward, a respectful figure in the game," Dyche said.

"I remember being on loan at Chesterfield as a young pro from Forest, I went back to a game and he was in the stand and he made it a point to come over and speak to you, ask you how it was going.

"I was a young pro and he was a recognised first team player, there was no need for him to do that. That’s what he’s like.

"I’ve always held that in high regard, it seems a small thing but it means a lot when you’re a young player and he asks you ‘how it’s going? What’s the style of play? How are you finding it?’ It was a proper conversation and I remember it to this day."

Brian Clough was still in charge at Forest at that time, but Nigel has forged his own managerial career now, stepping out of his dad's shadow in two spells with the Brewers as well as time at Derby County and Sheffield United.

"He’s done the hard yards," Dyche said of Nigel. "First time around at Burton he helped to build a club, I thought he did a very good job at Derby, a different Derby to what we know now, he was developing players.

"I think he had four-ish seasons, it’s not easy to do anyway, but it’s a club were there is a high demand on managers.

"He went on to Sheffield United and did a pretty good job there when there was a bit of turmoil with ownership.

"Then back to Burton and doing a great job."

Just as with Sir Alex Ferguson's side great sides of the 1990s, many of Brian Clough's former charges have gone into management and coaching.

Dyche can certainly remember his time under the 'legendary' Clough.

"I was a young pro, I didn’t play right under him," he said. "But he was at lots of games, he was at the training ground every day but he used to watch game after game, reserves games, youth games, he did have an influence on everyone.

"But because of the legend he was, anyone who has worked under him it makes a story, but there’s so many influences on my career.

"John Duncan was a big influence on my career and still is, Ray Lewington, the late Ray Harford, a fantastic coach.

"It’s not just down to Brian Clough, but he was a legendary figure, very good at what he did and he could be very funny and very humorous, which is not what people always thought of."