CONFIDENCE has been dented, but thankfully not battered.

Steve Cotterill carried the air of a manager without a care in the world as he signed away the next three years of his life to Burnley Football Club.

Some might see it as a gamble for a raw recruit bearing the scars of defeat to step into the shoes of battle-hardened former Clarets boss Stan Ternent.

But the new man in town looks back on his all-too brief time at Sunderland as a life-enhancing experience.

And after strolling into Turf Moor with a cocksure swagger, it is quickly apparent that Cotterill is determined to exorcise his demons by taking Burnley on an unforgettable ride.

"Deep down there is an ambition to manage in the Premiership and if that happens to me with Burnley, that's terrific," insisted Cotterill, who was assistant to Howard Wilkinson at the Stadium of Light for a well-documented and ultimately unsuccessful short spell last year.

"The break I have had has made me older and wiser and I am really, really looking forward to this opportunity. I can't wait to get going now.

"Here at Burnley, we have to build a side capable of winning football matches - and the more we win the better we are.

"As for saying 'let's get into the Premiership', let's not get carried away and start giving false hope.

"But at the end of the day, the more games we do win the better chance we have of getting there."

Cotterill, who has already made his move for specific targets, added: "We have to get players quickly and then try to get together a team ethic.

"I can promise hard work and honesty. I would like to also say flair, but I'm not sure we can afford that yet."

Making a little go a long, long way will be the nature of the beast for Cotterill - at least in the first 12 months of his Turf Moor tenure.

Chairman Barry Kilby insists the purse strings must stay tightly shut while football's fragile economics re-align.

Former Cheltenham and Stoke manager Cotterill happily accepts he must wheel and deal in free transfers and loan signings.

And after previous incumbent Ternent's constant battle to generate a non-existent transfer kitty, that sends out the clearest signal to all supporters that everyone at Turf Moor is now pulling in the same direction.

He said: "I think the chairman is a top man and I hope I'm saying that every year for the next three.

"He won't change as a person and while they do their homework and you hear about them sifting through candidates, I'm sure any potential manager does his own homework.

"I did mine and I've heard nothing but good things said about Barry. To hear he had earmarked me two years ago was amazing.

"Now, two years on, here I am as manager and that's a terrific boost for me. They have sold me the club, but Burnley Football Club sells itself.

"It's a small town and a big club, with everyone fully into the club and very similar to what I experienced at both Cheltenham and Stoke.

"But I'm a Burnley manager now and that's my focus. Now I just want to get this club going and get the fans out of their seats."

Since leaving Sunderland, Cotterill has suffered the heartache of losing both mother Trish and nan Em (Emily) in circumstances that put losing a job firmly into context.

He finally found the strength to pick up his career, ending last season beavering away as a coach at Leicester following an invitation from Foxes boss Micky Adams.

Now though, the time has come for Cotterill to re-establish his credentials as his own man.

And failure is simply not an option.

"I had three months at Leicester, which enabled me to get back out on the training ground again," he explained.

"I am very thankful to Micky and Dave Bassett for giving me time to work with some excellent players and great characters.

"But to get back into management has been very important for me. This is a great challenge, but without a challenge there is no achievement, so I'm looking forward to it immensely."