WHEN boredom strikes, Micah Hyde loses himself in fantasy football.

The Burnley new boy has been whiling away the free hours in Austria indulging himself in his favourite footy-based computer game.

But Hyde is now champing at the bit to transfer the skills at his fingertips onto the real stage.

Tonight's game against Munich 1860 provides Steve Cotterill's new-look Burnley with a last chance to iron out any rough edges before Sheffield United travel to Turf Moor for the First Division curtain-raiser next weekend.

And Hyde, who describes his summer move north as the "biggest of his career", believes Burnley can play their own brand of fantasy football under Cotterill's leadership.

He said: "You've got to work hard to get out of this division, but you also need a bit of luck and organisation and after all that comes ability.

"A lot of teams can get out of this division, not so much on ability, but hard work and organisation. I've seen it before.

"If you've got the lot you've got a great chance and I know we've got the hard work.

"The gaffer and the coaching staff will give us the organisation and with the players we've got here, I know we've got the ability."

Hyde, who enjoyed a season in the Premiership with Watford in the 1999/00 season, added: "I've been successful practically all my career.

"I've played in the highest division and many years in the First Division, so I know all about this division. It's nothing daunting for me and I'm not looking to come here and fight relegation.

"That's definitely not what I came here for and I know that isn't what the gaffer's looking for.

"He's shown that with the shrewd signings he's made and, if I was a Burnley fan, I would be thinking 'they are definitely good acquisitions'.

"We haven't all come here to plod along and hopefully get us mid-table. I'm an ambitious guy and I'm looking for promotion, definitely a play-off position and top seven without a doubt."

Free agent Hyde backed those words with action - uprooting his young family, including two young sons about to start school - and choosing Burnley over Sheffield United as a better route back into the top flight.

He said: "Obviously it's a big move for me and my family, because I've been down south all my career at Cambridge and Watford.

But I liked the idea - the gaffer had sold the club to me, telling me what he wanted to do and what he wanted to achieve this season.

"It was a big decision. Definitely the biggest move of my career in terms of having to move my whole family up here.

"Other clubs were interested and I was training with Sheffield United when Steve first phoned.

"But when I spoke to the gaffer, the way he spoke, and the fact he knew so much about me, sold Burnley to me.

"He is an enthusiastic young manager, and those managers are sought after these days because they are successful.

"He's got a good reputation in the game, and once I spoke to him and he told me how I could fit into the team, it wasn't a major decision for me to make."

AUSTRIAN DIARY

By Darren Bentley

OBERTRAUN'S sporting facility has played host to many football teams this pre-season. Middlesbrough and Southampton have journeyed to this glorious part of the world, along with Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle and a raft of crack European sides.

And a measure of how impressive the facilities are is that, two years ago, the mighty Real Madrid warmed up for La Liga in this very location.

Quite what the insurance bill must have been for Zidane, Figo, Roberto Carlos and his pals to go white water rafting and suspend themselves 2,000 metres up in a swinging cable car though, is anyone's guess!

INSPIRED by the views from the top of Mount Krippenstein, I thought I would end my week with a spot of more genteel sightseeing.

Obertraun is wedged inbetween the mountains alongside Lake Hallstatt, which makes a picture postcard scene from the saddle of a push bike.

And after spending all my spare time this week playing tennis, jogging round the athletics track, I felt it was time to spread my wings a little.

The four kilometre journey was probably one of the highlights of the week, surely taking in some of the best scenery Austria has to offer.

This place is also an absolute haven for hikers, so anyone thinking of a walking holiday could do a lot worse than choose Hallstatt.

And after a whole week of alcohol abstinence, if that doesn't get me a free pint tonight before flying home, then nothing will!

BURNLEY'S Italian counterparts here in Austria, Pro Sesto, had a swagger in their step after returning to the training camp last night. The Serie C team beat local side Bad Goisen 9-0 in the first game of their own mini-tour. Bad team more like!

STEVE Cotterill's Clarets have made many friends over here in Austria. And don't be surprised if anther branch of the supporters club soon springs up in Gaflenz. The Austrian boys club have an Under 10 and Under 11 side training in Obertraun to coincide with Burnley's visit. And Cotterill was happy to oblige when the young stars of the future asked politely if they could have a picture with the squad.

INSPIRED by the views from the top of Mount Krippenstein, I thought I would end my week with a spot of more genteel sightseeing.

Obertraun is wedged inbetween the mountains alongside Lake Hallstatt, which makes a picture postcard scene from the saddle of a push bike.

And after spending all my spare time this week playing tennis, jogging round the athletics track, I felt it was time to spread my wings a little.

The four kilometre journey was probably one of the highlights of the week, surely taking in some of the best scenery Austria has to offer.

This place is also an absolute haven for hikers, so anyone thinking of a walking holiday could do a lot worse than choose Hallstatt.

And after a whole week of alcohol abstinence, if that doesn't get me a free pint tonight before flying home, then nothing will!