Burnley boss Dyche standing by Gray during ban

Burnley manager Sean Dyche will continue to back striker Andre Gray as he serves his four-match ban for homophobic comments.

Gray was handed the ban by the FA for comments he posted on Twitter back in 2012 while playing for non-league Hinckley United.

The marksman – who has since commented that he regrets the posts and is a changed man – was also given a £25,000 fine and instructed to attend an FA education course.

The 25-year-old served the first match of his suspension on Monday night as Burnley downed Watford 2-0 thanks to goals from Jeff Hendrick and Michael Keane.

He is also set to miss Premier League clashes against Arsenal, Southampton and Everton before potentially returning against Manchester United on October 29.

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Dyche accepts that Gray is a different person now and, while still condemning the tweets, is supporting the striker.

“I make it clear – and it’s important – that the tweet was unacceptable,” said Dyche.

“Andre came out immediately and said that, so if we park that for a minute, we are disappointed.

“He is a young man who, four years ago, was learning at that point in his life. He didn’t have the back-up and support and education from the FA.

“I think it’s a tough one to take. He has moved on a long way since then and we’ll back him and support him through this tough period.

“It’s not about the comment. That’s done now. It’s about moving forward and getting him training and back on the pitch when we can.”