JAMIE Hoyland has backed Burnley to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, but hopes current club Preston throw a spanner in their works tonight.

The Yorkshireman turned honorary Rossendalian still pays avid attention to results on matchdays, usually wanting his former employers to do well.

But not today, especially with two of his young proteges in the side.

Former Burnley captain Hoyland has spent the last four years nurturing Preston’s potential stars of the future, and last season watched proudly as Blackburn-born Adam Barton and Danny Mayor made their big break.

“With the finances in football you’ve got to look down the youth line,” said Hoyland.

“I’ve been banging on for the last two years about Danny and Adam. But Darren Ferguson has come in and said ‘These two will be involved’ and they have been.

“It’s great for our department and hopefully for the club in the long term.”

For Hoyland, coaching is the next best thing to playing.

In almost four seasons at Burnley the former Sheffield United defender made more than 100 appearances, but his time at Turf Moor came to a sticky end under Chris Waddle.

So much so that he can barely remember his only appearance in a Burnley-Preston derby, when he came off the bench to replace Gerry Harrison at half time of their Auto Windscreens Shield semi final in 1998.

“What I do remember from my time at Burnley though is losing players to Preston, like Gary Parkinson and David Eyres under Chris Waddle. It affected everyone,” he said.

“There were seven of us who were all experienced pros that he didn’t want to have anything to do with the team.”

After hanging up his boots Hoyland returned to Turf Moor to work with the Centre of Excellence and was then in the backroom staff at Rochdale before joining Preston’s youth department.

“My loyalties lie with Preston because that’s who I work for.

"But anyone who knows me knows I still live in the area and look for Burnley’s results,” said the 44-year-old.

“I do think they will get back up this season.”