OWEN Coyle is ready to face a gauntlet of hate from Clarets fans tonight by admitting: ‘I’ll deal with it’.

Nothing less than a hostile reception is expected for the former Burnley boss when he brings his Bolton side to Turf Moor for the eagerly-awaited Carling Cup third round tie.

The vast majority of Clarets supporters are yet to forgive Coyle for leaving the club back in January to take over the reins at their Lancashire rivals.

He was given a rough ride at the Reebok Stadium when the two sides met in the Premier League just weeks after his departure, with furious fans holding banners labelling him ‘Judas’.

Now, the 44-year-old makes his first return to Turf Moor tonight and knows another vicious backlash is coming his way.

Asked if he will require earplugs to drown out the abuse, Coyle said: “Whatever happens I’ll deal with it.

“I think there will always be a certain section who will be angry. We saw that in the league game here last season.

“But we all know as kids growing up that they can only call you a name once, and once you have been called it, you have been called it.

“If some people choose not to forgive then that’s up to them. I can understand that emotions run high in football “I’m looking forward to seeing many people who I still consider friends. Obviously there will be some who don’t consider me a friend but that’s the nature of the game.”

At the time of his exit, Coyle said Bolton were ‘years ahead’ of the Clarets in terms of potential and infrastructure.

Yet the Scot claims he would never have left Burnley if his decision was based purely by emotion.

”If it was just down to emotion, and emotion alone, I would never have left Burnley,” Coyle said.

”Was it emotional leaving? Absolutely. Will it be emotional (tonight)? Of course it will. I wouldn’t be evasive or try to get away from that.

”But regardless of how I’m treated or the reception that I get, nothing will ever take away from the feeling I have for Burnley.”