Owen Coyle's Hint on Potential Unsworth Return

Former Clarets defender, David Unsworth released early from his contract at Hudderfield announced this week that he would be hanging up his boots and seeking a coaching role.

Owen Coyle had previously offered him a player/coaching role at Turf Moor last summer but Unsworth turned it down because he felt he wouldn't be given that much opportunity to play.

Coyle has today explained in an interview with the Burnley Express what this role involved and why he thought it was rejected:

'The role we'd asked for him last year was to combine playing with coaching, because he'd aspirations of doing his badges, and that was at that time.We didn't want him to leave in the summer, but I think he was getting a good contract at Huddersfield and he still wanted to be playing on a weekly basis, and I certainly understood his reasons for doing that'

With Unsworth now a free agent looking for a role in coaching, Clarets fans were bound to ask the question whether there might be a chance he could return to Turf Moor.

The good news is that Coyle doesn't appear to have ruled out the possibility and the gaffer still has high regard for the former England International.

It would appear that Coyle has regularly been in contact with Unsworth

'I spoke to Unsy a few weeks ago because obviously he's left (Huddersfield) now.I love him to death and he knows that.We still keep in touch via text. Grezza's very pally with him, and I said to him I'd give him a call next week when things have settled down.He was terrific for me, and I've got a lot of time for him.We'll have a chat and I'll see what he's up to, and you never know if there's anything we can help him with. Unsy would be more than welcome (to train), but I don't know what he's got in mind'

Training of course is one thing but could Coyle have something more permanent in mind on the coaching front?

Well he appears to have hinted it is not beyond the realms of possibility:

'I'll speak to him on a pal basis because of how well we got on. We've got a few coaches as it is just now and things have moved on and finance is different,and all that now.I'll have a chat with him in terms of what he's up to, but I would think that's probably the basis of it.'

It's good to see the respect that Coyle still has for his former player. Unsworth also obviously left on good terms despite turning down the player/coach deal and it will be interesting to see if he does eventually return to Turf Moor as part of the coaching staff.

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