BURNLEY manager Owen Coyle believes Robbie Blake and Chris Eagles are sending the right messages to the rest of the squad, while at the same time proving he is a man of his word.

The duo both produced match-winning performances from the bench last month to reclaim their places in the starting line-up.

Blake had missed out on a place in Coyle’s eleven for 12 Championship clashes before Saturday’s home game against Norwich City, while injury and illness had created an opening for Eagles in the previous match against Reading, after a seven-game exile on his return from suspension.

And Coyle, who has always insisted that good performances would be rewarded, is delighted that both players have made good use of their patience to seize their opportunity.

“Robbie’s been champing at the bit to play, we know the quality he’s got, and he certainly looked as though, as he has done coming off the bench, that he'd a point to prove,” said the Burnley boss.

“The team went on a great run and he (Eagles) couldn’t force his way back in, and had it not been for illness and injuries the other night he might not have started.

“But he came in, similarly to Robbie, and showed his quality, and as a manager you can’t ask any more than that.”

Former Manchester United midfielder Eagles signalled his return in emphatic fashion by scoring both goals in a comfortable 2-0 win over the Canaries on Saturday.

However, Coyle insisted there is more to come from the 22-year-old.

“He’ll tell you, and I’m certainly the first to tell him, he’s not the finished article. He’s got a lot to do,” said the Clarets chief.

“We know offensively what he can bring to the game, but equally we’re working on a daily basis to try to teach him the other side of that, because anything we try to do here we do it together.

“Yes, there will be fine individuals within that team framework but it’s very much a team effort.

“He was tracking back and I think we can now add to that with a purpose as opposed to taking up all that energy.

“There’s certainly stuff that each and every one of them can improve, and that’s what we’re trying to do.

“We’re only continuing to improve.

"There’s a long way to go for where I believe we want to be, and that will take time.

"But we’re working hard and it's reaping rewards at the moment.”