CLARETS boss Owen Coyle has revealed the secret behind his success this season - allowing his players to enjoy their football.

The feel-good factor has swept around Turf Moor after a run of just one defeat in 14 matches, which has happened despite heavy defeats in both of their opening games this season.

And Coyle (above), who remains grateful to be involved in the sport on a full-time basis after starting as a part-time player in the Scottish lower leagues with Dumbarton, thinks the positive approach of his staff has played a part in his side’s good form.

He said: “The game’s moved on since I played and I think there are a lot of social skills involved in football now, in terms of how you deal with players, and that’s what we’re doing.

“It’s not just me, it’s a collective thing, and that’s why it’s important you’ve got the right staff.

“We do encourage them to have a smile on their face when they come in, but that should be a given anyway because if you’re getting paid to play football and you can’t do it with a smile on your face there’s something sadly wrong.

“I know both sides of it because I was a part-time player and had to get up early in the morning and do a real job of work, and all credit to anybody who does that.

“It’s very easy to say team spirit’s great when you’re winning games - that’s a given.

“But we lost heavily in the first two games and it was hurtful, but they kept that spirit and showed that belief in each other and it’s all credit to them.”

And Coyle says that desire to play football should always be more important to his players than the financial rewards on offer, explaining that he turned down two potential summer signings because of their approach to negotiations.

He said: “There are players that would quite happily sit and take their salary and not play - I’m not talking about our football club - but it happens. It would be taboo for me because I think you should want to play football.

“I had a couple that I was chasing in the summer and the first thing that was mentioned was finance.

“That just put me off straight away and I didn’t pursue it any further.

“If somebody wants to speak about the football side of things and then their representative or whoever wants to chat away about the finance then that’s all well and good, but I think football should be a priority.”