Owen Coyle was oblivious to the intensity of Burnley and Blackburn's rivalry - until the moment he became he manager at Turf Moor two years ago.

Excitement is building in the north-west for Sunday's east Lancashire derby, which will be the first ever Premier League meeting between the two clubs.

Having rarely been in the same division in recent years, matches between the Clarets and Rovers have been few and far between - providing little indication of the passions the fixture stirs within the local community.

Coyle had a stint as a player at nearby Bolton in the 1990s but still had no idea about the significance of his neighbours' derby.

But all that changed in no time once he became Burnley boss, as the importance of "beating the Rovers" became apparent from his first day in the job.

"I had two-and-a-half brilliant years at Bolton and absolutely loved it, and Blackburn and Burnley were just along the road. But I wasn't aware of the rivalry at all," Coyle confirmed.

"But I think I was in the job here five minutes when I came out of a press conference and somebody who worked at the football club came up to me and said 'listen, all the best - but make sure you beat the Rovers when you play them!'

"I thought 'we're in a different division to begin with!' But it struck home straightaway, that intense rivalry."

Burnley were drifting around the lower reaches of the Championship at the time but go to Ewood Park on Sunday seven places and five points above their opponents in the Premier League table.

There can be little doubt that east Lancashire now has two major teams again, and Coyle thinks it is something for the region to be proud of.

"We've obviously obtained the right now to be operating at the same level, in the best league in the world, and I think that's fantastic for the whole community," he said.

"You have two towns, rivals as they are, but both in this league - and I think people should be looking at that."

Coyle feels a responsibility to help keep Burnley at the top level.

"There are some big glamour clubs that aren't operating at this level any more, and two of the so-called smaller towns are - so I think you have to take pride from that," he added.

"Both clubs want to ensure that they remain there for many years to come. To do that we have to earn points, whether it be a derby or not, so that's my focus."

Burnley have found away points particularly hard to come by so far this season, with four defeats from four on the road and 14 goals conceded to none scored.

The Clarets have suffered big defeats at Liverpool and Tottenham in recent weeks, but Coyle remains confident that an away win is just around the corner.

"There is no doubt it is coming," he said.

"The disappointment has been with the margin of the scorelines - because within each game, we could have had a positive impact.

"But it has not happened, and we can't affect what is behind us. We can affect what is in front of us - and Sunday presents an opportunity, derby or not, to win some points on our travels."

With that task in mind, Coyle will be hoping his team keep their focus on the match itself and are not overwhelmed by the occasion.

"I think it's fair to say that the game will start at a frantic pace and I can imagine the atmosphere already - they will all be singing their hearts out," Coyle predicts.

"But you hope as well that you don't get lost in all that. You're here to play football, to put your foot on the ball and pass and move it - so I will try to impart that to my players. I hope we will go and show Burnley in a real good light.

"It's important that we don't lose sight of the fact that it is a football match; it's the Premier League, and we want to represent and show the quality that the Premier League holds."