BARRY Kilby has been given assurances by Eddie Howe that Burnley will give everything they’ve got to finish his last season as chairman on a high.

The 63-year-old will resign from the position he has held for 13 years in May, after revealing he is battling cancer.

Promotion to the Premier League at Wembley in May 2009 has so far been the pinnacle of his tenure.

And Howe believes marking the end of his reign with a repeat would be a fitting send-off.

“I can think of no better way,” said the Burnley boss.

“We'll work as hard as we can day to day to make that happen. Who knows what's round the corner, but we would certainly love that ourselves.”

Of the impact news of Kilby’s illness and impending resignation had made on the club, Howe added: “It's been a difficult week really because the chairman's well respected by everybody for the job he’s done for a long period of time,” he said.

“When you get news like that it might have a uniting effect, for sure. I think it was a surprise to a lot of people.

“It’s incredibly sad.

“He’s done such a magnificent job for the club. You compare the club now to when he took over it’s a totally different football club and that’s all credit to him and the job that he’s done.

“Obviously I haven’t been here a long time but I can certainly appreciate the job he has done and the changes that his leadership has affected.

“When something does hit you like that it does make you think of the bigger picture.”

Just three points off sixth place going into tomorrow’s game at Southampton, Burnley are well placed for a push into the play-offs for the second time in three years.

And Howe has urged them not to veer off target.

“The players have got to focus on the game,” he said.

“It (the chairman’s news) doesn’t affect them directly.

“The chairman hasn’t addressed the players. He’s a very private man and I’m sure he would want to remain that way.

“He doesn’t have a great deal of contact with the players, he’s very much a background figure and I think again that’s another tribute to him because he does his work behind the scenes, which is how I believe the job should be done, and let the players get on with their jobs.

“But the players know if they need him he’s there and someone they can talk to if and when required.”

Howe added: “It’s knocked anybody who’s had dealings with him because he’s such a gentleman and you can certainly tell from the first time you meet him how passionate he is about the football club.

“The biggest tribute you can give to the chairman is you know he’s got the best interest of the club at heart, every decision he makes is for the benefit of that.

“The job he has done is quite remarkable really, and we just wish him well with his recovery.”

In terms of the running of the club, Howe fully expects it to be business as usual up to and after Kilby’s resignation.

“It’s a very balanced board with a good spectrum of views across it.

“They are all Burnley fans, which first and foremost is the key, and they all get on and their visions for the club are very similar.

“I think that is reassuring because nothing really will change day to day and nothing will change within the visions of the football club,” he said.

“I think they are going to take their time and try to come up with the right restructuring, but hopefully from my side nothing really changes.”