DETERMINED defender Dean West has warned Burnley new boy Lee Roche he faces a battle to win back his right-back role.

Former Clarets player of the year West has found a rich vein of form to restrict Roche to just four first team starts since his arrival from Manchester United in the summer.

The fullback spot is one of the few positions cash-strapped manager Stan Ternent has been able to provide quality back-up for this summer.

And West, who again sparkled in last Saturday's 3-1 win over Walsall, admits he has been forced to up his game to keep highly-rated Roche kicking his heels on the sidelines.

The fit-as-a-fiddle 30-year-old admitted: "I'm happy with my form at the moment. Playing regularly helps, but there is competition for places - especially in my position - and that pushes you on.

"I have been trying my best to create a bit of space down the right hand side and getting forward to try my luck at shooting.

"If you play well, keep your level of performances high and the team keeps on winning, you will keep your place and hopefully I can do that.

"That's the gaffer's policy and it's good to know."

West started the season playing second fiddle to Roche before an untimely hamstring injury threw him a first team lifeline he has well and truly grabbed.

And the former Bury defender reckons the tight-knit Clarets squad has now recovered from their rocky start to show they can more than match some of the First Division big guns and the bigger squads at their disposal.

He added: "I don't feel it's just me - the rest of the team are playing well too. It's Christmas time when suspensions and injuries really start to catch up with teams, but if we can get up there and we're still in there then, I'm sure we will be able to strengthen the squad a little bit more.

"Until then, it's an old adage but we are taking each game as it comes. In the last two away games at Wimbledon and Watford we feel we have thrown four points away and it was important to get that win over Walsall after two performances that we feel we should have picked up maximum points."

Meanwhile, Burnley are set to announce a new Chief Executive to replace Andrew Watson, who quit to join hometown club Huddersfield earlier this summer.

Clarets Chairman Barry Kilby has been studiously interviewing potential successors since Watson's sudden departure in July.

And the new man at the helm will officially be announced on Wednesday morning, with full details in tomorrow's Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Burnley Football Club have received official confirmation from the Football League that Saturday's scheduled First Division game at home to Reading is now OFF through international call-ups to three Royals players.

A new date for the fixture has yet to be announced.