CAPTAIN fantastic David Eyres has issued a rallying call on the eve of tomorrow's clash against Gillingham.

Burnley start their Second Division Turf Moor programme and Eyres is appealing to the Burnley faithful to give the Clarets a massive vocal lift as player-manager Chris Waddle prepares for his home league debut.

Eyres predicted: "I know our fans will be there in their thousands tomorrow and I am just appealing to them to get right behind us and make Turf Moor a really intimidating place.

"The supporters are a very special part of the team at Burnley and they really are something else.

"When I led the team out at Watford I just felt like climbing over the wall behind the goal and giving each one a hug.

"They are some of the best fans in the land. Chris and all the boys were bowled over by how many were down at Watford."

And Eyres predicts: "I think we will make a big challenge for promotion this season. I just sense a new belief about the place.

"We've got a high profile player-manager who has caught the imagination of our fans.

"He is attracting players to Burnley who maybe would not have come to the club under different circumstances.

"You can feel his sense of wanting to improve things and that belief from the manager has transferred through to the players." One of Chris Waddle's first tasks was to install Eyres as his first team skipper.

The captain added: "It was the proudest moment of my football life when Chris Waddle gave me the arm-band.

"We are all determined to go out there and reward the fans with the promotion they so richly deserve. We all want to be in the First Division with Burnley next year."

Waddle will delay announcing his line-up until tomorrow but he appears set to make his Turf Moor League debut.

Waddle said: "Gillingham will provide us with a stern task and it will be a physical battle.

"But against Watford and Lincoln, when we won the ball, we showed what we can do.

"We need to be more consistent and enjoy the ball, but work hard to get it back."

Waddle has added Paul Weller to the squad on duty at Lincoln in midweek and will pick from: Beresford, Woods, Huxford, Vinncombe, Wiliams, Blatherwick, Brass, Winstanley, Ford, Howey, Barnes, Eyres, Waddle, Matthew, Weller, Eastwood, Hoyland.

Gillingham from: Moss, Statham, Butters, Bryant, Ashby, Green, Masters, Ratcliffe, Galloway, Smith, Hessenthaler, Butler, Akinbiyi, Fortune-West, Bailey.

Dutch defender Marco Gentile will feature in tomorrow's A team fixture at Liverpool. Gentile has missed the start of the campaign with a stomach strain.

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