The 46-year-old arrived at Turf Moor in the summer but has left the Clarets languishing in the relegation zone following a dismal 4-1 defeat at Lincoln City, making it just one victory in 13 outings in all competitions.

Burnley announced his departure in a two-sentence statement just under two hours after their defeat at the ProAmpac Stadium: ‘Burnley Football Club has dismissed Head Coach Nicky Hayen with immediate effect. The Board has taken the decision following a disappointing start to the Championship season.’

The Belgian becomes the second Championship manager to be sacked after Preston North End parted company with Paul Heckingbottom last month.

Optimism soon turns into despair

Hayen’s arrival in Lancashire brought renewed belief following a torrid Premier League campaign, their first left-field appointment since Vincent Kompany, who brought major success.

He boasted an impressive CV with several sides in Belgium, most notably with Club Brugge and Genk, and lifted the Belgian title with the former in 2024 before touching down on British shores in the summer.

Renowned for his possession-based style of play, a curtain-raiser draw with West Ham showed promising signs as they fought from two goals down to salvage a late point.

The Clarets had won the title in both of their previous campaigns at this level, but a three-peat looked increasingly unlikely following concerning defeats to West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City.

Following a five-game winless run from then, signs of a turnaround emerged in a sublime 4-0 victory at struggling Watford as goals from Jacob Bruun Larsen, Zeki Amdouni, Reo Hatate and Marcus Edwards appeared to have flicked a switch in Burnley’s season.

Back-to-back victories appeared within reach when Charlton Athletic visited three days later, only for Ivan Mesik to snatch a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser.

Jamie Vardy’s arrival last month looked to spring life into their misfiring attack, and he broke the deadlock against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they fell to a 2-1 defeat.

Languishing in the drop zone ahead of a trip to Lincoln, Andreas Hountondji’s first-half strike put the Clarets in the driving seat to put a second win of the season on the board.

However, a second-half capitulation saw the Imps take full control with four goals to end Hayen’s time in charge.

What’s next?

Parallels can be drawn between Burnley’s early-season struggles and Leicester City’s disastrous campaign in the second tier last term, with poor managerial appointments culminating in back-to-back relegations.

The Burnley board must get this appointment right to avoid following in the Foxes’ footsteps, and a proven track record in the Sky Bet Championship is most likely to be at the top of their agenda.

Carlos Corberan, who enjoyed a fruitful spell in charge at West Brom and most recently Valencia, certainly fits that quota and may be an attractive option for incoming Spanish sporting director Diego Lopez.

It seems unlikely Sean Dyche would make a sensational return but would certainly bring a divided fanbase on side, while Wales boss Craig Bellamy is another manager linked despite rejecting the Clarets in the summer.

Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards are both out of work and have masterminded Championship promotions, while Steven Gerrard and Dave Challinor have also been touted as potential options.

It remains to be seen who will take charge for Saturday’s visit of Portsmouth and whether Burnley will have appointed a permanent successor by then. Mike Jackson looks set to step in on an interim basis for the third time, but Burnley will be eager to turn their fortunes around with three games before the November international break.