STEVE Cotterill has revealed the secret to Burnley's unbeaten start is a pre-season in the sun.

The Clarets boss admitted the club trips abroad are worth every penny after picking up seven points from their first three games.

And he said this summer's tour to Lake Garda in Italy had left confidence in the squad sky high.

He said: "I think they've become very together.

"Every year we go away pre season on a tour and every January or February we go away for five or six days in the sun to do a bit of training out of the country.

"Those two trips are fantastic for bonding the lads together because you won't get too many players into the team for £500 a week. You're better off having that money and spending it on one less player that might not be good enough for you anyway, and take the lads away, look after them and make them feel special.

"Don't underestimate their worth when the players are saying to the new lads they've been to Italy, Tenerife and Cyprus.

"The £35,000-£40,000 we pay for those trips more than pays itself back in terms of the benefits it gives to the squad. The players live off those trips.

"They remember them and they remember they had a good time. It's all about keeping the feel-good factor.

"Players will play better with a smile on their face than if they've got a long face. The trips are not very expensive but it all adds up and in Italy it worked very well for their confidence, they got off the mark and started scoring."

Burnley have been forced to sell top players in recent seasons and Cotterill admitted losing Robbie Blake, Richard Chaplow and Ade Akinbiyi in particular, had a serious impact on the team.

But he was sure summer acquisitions Alan Mahon, Andy Gray and Steve Jones would be more than able replacements.

He added: "When you sell good players, if they're good characters, then there's always a big void you have to fill.

"And to be fair I think if you can make sure you've got the right characters it's a big help. I do as much homework on that as I do on how many times they keep the ball up or if they can put it into the top corner of the net.

"We try to bring in the right characters and if we do that then they build their own spirit.

"You don't necessarily have to build any team spirit for them.

"And to be fair the group we've got just now build their own spirit."