CHRIS Pearce, one of the most popular players to wear the goalkeeper's jersey at Turf Moor, could have a role to play in developing a future Clarets number one.

Pearce, who played 219 games for Burnley from 1987 to 1992, is back at the club, helping coach the would-be keepers turning up at the Clarets School of Excellence at Gawthorpe.

And the family name may yet live on between the posts with Pearce's eight-year-old son Curtis showing early signs of following in his father's footsteps.

But although Curtis joins the other under-nines being put through their paces at Burnley by Pearce senior, Manchester United's academy might get first bite at the cherry having already shown an interest in his fledgling talents.

"He's a big lad for his age, tall and skinny, just like his dad," said Pearce, who settled in Blackburn after joining Rovers as a young pro from Wolves.

Pearce's other son Ryan has also benefited from his father's coaching as a pupil at St Paul's school in Cherry Tree, Blackburn where Pearce gives up his Saturday mornings to coach around 30 young players.

Two years ago the school's under-11s were Lancashire champions and just one win away from Wembley in a national competition.

Pearce still turns out occasionally himself, helping his works team at Scapa Scandia reach the final of last season's Blackburn and District Orphanage Cup.

But the 37-year-old former Welsh youth international hasn't played League football for six years after a back injury prematurely ended his career while with Bradford City. The Bantams were Pearce's seventh League club - permanently or on loan - but it was with Burnley that he played the majority of his near 300 League games.

"It was a very interesting time," he recalled. "I joined the club just after they had nearly gone out of the League.

"I got a call from Leighton James who was working with Brian Miller at the time.

"I was still at Wrexham but I wanted to try and get local and once Burnley came in I jumped at the chance. They had always been known as a big club and they always will be.

"The year I joined we just missed out on the play-offs and we played at Wembley in the Sherpa Van Trophy.

"The most enjoyable time I had was at Burnley. People know me more for the Burnley side than Blackburn."

The Sherpa Van Trophy final, which Burnley lost to Wolves in 1988, provided one of Pearce's career highlights, another being promotion as Fourth Division champions in 1992.

But that title success was tinged with regret for Pearce, who was released immediately after the decisive victory over York City despite believing a contract offer was on the way.

Having enjoyed working under Brian Miller and then Frank Casper and Mick Docherty, things did not go so well for Pearce following the appointment of Jimmy Mullen who also used Nicky Walker and David Williams in goal during the 1991/92 campaign.

"The last 12 months at Burnley were a bit horrendous with the manager and being in and out of the first team.

"We had been out celebrating and then we had to go in the following day. I got called into the office and was told I was no longer required.

"I got released by Burnley the day after the York game. We won promotion and I was released the day afterwards. I had just played enough to get a championship medal," he said.

"I would like to say a big thank-you to the other players who rang me and told me they wanted me there, otherwise I wouldn't have turned up for the next game against Wrexham."

Pearce signed instead for Bradford as cover for Paul Tomlinson but started the season in the first-team and played 14 times before a worsening back injury flared up again, ironically in a reserve game against Burnley.

"I had an operation and then I got back training and playing but it went again and I was advised to pack it in.

"I finished on a high note in the first-team at Bradford, but I would have loved to have finished at Burnley," he said.

And coming to terms with the injury was equally painful for a time.

"For 12 months it was destroying me. Leaving football opened my eyes. I struggled to get a job, people didn't want to employ me," added Pearce, who turned his hand to working as a driving instructor, a gardener and a handful of other odd jobs before landing a permanent position with Scapa Scandia. But looking back, Pearce, who recovered sufficiently to join Chorley for a spell, wouldn't change a thing.

"I loved my career. I wouldn't swap what I have done for the world," he insisted.

"People say wouldn't it have been better to have played now with all this money ?

"But I did it because I loved football. I had a nice living out of football and managed to get a nice house and a nice car and I would do the same again.

"They pay too much nowadays and it's spoiling it. Mind you I don't blame the players I blame the people above them."

Those that saw him reinforce the view that he played with a smile on his face and enjoyed an excellent rapport with the Turf Moor crowd.

"I think you've got to have a laugh with the supporters. You never know when you might need them," admitted the man who once turned up with Rochdale at Wimbledon sporting tennis whites and a racket. It wouldn't happen now.

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