O'Driscoll misses Burnley job as Clarets 'gamble' on Laws

Laws, who was sacked by the Owls last month, signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the Premier League club leaving O'Driscoll in his wake.

Burnley chairman Barry Kilby insisted that Laws was always 'first choice' for the job – however, the Yorkshire Post understands that a proposed move for O'Driscoll collapsed after Rovers demanded 1m in compensation.

Laws could yet twist the knife by lodging a 2m bid for striker Billy Sharp who is currently on loan at Rovers from Sheffield United.

He is also set for talks with Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon after the Blades accepted a 1.5m bid and will test Wednesday's resolve to keep striker Marcus Tudgay and goalkeeper Lee Grant.

Burnley chairman Kilby admitted that appointing Laws – who started his playing career with the Clarets but has never managed in the top flight – was a gamble but a statement on the club's official website hailed the 48-year-old as the 'best value' manager in the Championship.

"The Burnley board have been particularly impressed by the way Brian consistently achieved relative success in his former post at Sheffield Wednesday while operating with one of the lowest wage and transfer budgets in the Championship," it read.

"The results of a Deloitte and Touche study, delivered at the club's request, confirm that he was top of the list of Championship managers over the period 2006-2009, in terms of delivering the best results relative to financial budgets."

Laws was sacked by the Owls after a sequence of 10 games without a win had dragged the club into the relegation zone – but had survived three years in the role and kept the club in the division.

After Owen Coyle's heroics in getting Burnley promoted to the Premier League before his departure to Bolton Wanderers last week, Laws will have a tough act to follow at Turf Moor but has appealed for understanding from the club's supporters.

"All I'm asking of them is to support your team as you have been, continue to do what you are doing, and we will do everything in our power to get it right on the pitch," he said.

"Owen has done a terrific job and rightly should be looked at through the eyes of the supporters as a legend. He has done something that many managers have tried and been unsuccessful. Credit where credit is due and I know that the fans will support that and say he has done a brilliant job.

"I'm sure there will be one or two reserved that will be looking and watching what happens. All I can say to them is that they will get my full commitment.

"I'll work every hour possible to make sure it happens at this football club. Time will tell and I hope I do. Every club I've been to I've had a great affinity with the supporters. I appreciate what they're about and I hope they see that."

Laws will be joined at Burnley by his former Owls assistant Russ Wilcox. Veteran Burnley midfielder Graham Alexander, who worked under Laws at Scunthorpe United, has landed a new role as player-coach.

Doncaster chairman John Ryan, meanwhile, has welcomed the news O'Driscoll, who led the club back to the second tier of English football after a 50 year absence, will not be moving on.

Ryan said: "There has been speculation over the movements of Sean O'Driscoll in the last 72 hours but it is great news that he has decided not to join Burnley. Everyone at the club is delighted and we all appreciate the job he has done so far and acknowledge the quality of the football. Deep down, I also have a feeling that he never really wanted to go."

Burnley chairman Kilby admitted O'Driscoll was a target but insisted compensation was not an issue.

"It wasn't compensation, there were no stumbling blocks," he said. "We had several excellent candidates, of which Sean was one. It was simply Brian came out in front of the pack and is the one we have chosen to give this job to and I'm sure we'll have success."

Owls manager Alan Irvine, meanwhile, has spoken to Tudgay about his future at Hillsborough and does not envisage losing the striker.

"He signed a new contract and he says he is happy," Irvine told the Yorkshire Post last night. "I don't anticipate any massive problems. I also rate Marcus as a very good player who can help us out of our current situation."

LAWS FACTFILE

1961: Born October 14, in Wallsend.

1979: Begins professional career at Burnley after coming through as an apprentice.

1983: Joins Huddersfield.

1985: Joins Middlesbrough.

1988: Joins First Division Nottingham Forest for 120,000 after winning two promotions with Boro.

1989: Wins League Cup with Forest.

1994: Moves to Grimsby as player-manager.

1996: Sacked by Grimsby but continues playing in short spell at Darlington.

1997: Takes charge at Scunthorpe.

2006: Appointed Sheffield Wednesday manager.

2009: Sacked by Wednesday with team in Championship relegation zone after poor run of form.

2010: Appointed Burnley manager.