The game has changed radically - Dyche on Keane speculation

But he is disappointed in how much speculation there is about players in general in the modern era.

There is likely to be a huge scramble for Keane's services in the summer, when the 24-year-old will have a year remaining on his contract.

Dyche admits: "It's not rocket science to work out there's a few interested!"

He feels Keane is level-headed enough to focus on the last nine games of the Premier League season, but while stories about the former Manchester United youngster's future means he and the side are performing well, he isn't comfortable with all of it necessarily.

And it isn't how Dyche likes to do business, with a preference to keep his cards close to his chest and work in private.

Asked whether Keane's head has been turned, Dyche said: "He certainly doesn't seem like he has - the game has changed radically, everyone knows everything, its like an open book now, I've never known anything like it.

"Managers just talk openly about contract situations, who they're after, what their situation is...I've never seen anything like it.

"If a manager conducted himself like that 10 years ago, he'd be asked 'what do you think you're doing? That's an illegal approach.'

"Now it's just, 'oh, well, talk about who you want' - I'm one of the rare ones who doesn't talk about anyone if I can help it.

"I find that bizarre, now it's an open book. It doesn't matter they're so and so's player, we'll just talk about them anyway."

While Dyche was not talking about anyone specifically, Ronald Koeman of Everton was happy to talk about his interest in Keane before the January deadline, saying: “Keane is one of the players on the list, like some of the defenders in that position. "But I think he's on more lists in different teams."

And, asked whether he had considered speaking to the football authorities about his opinions, Dyche added: "No one seems to do anything about it.

"You can only hope or presume the powers that be see it and think 'that's not quite right'.

"I don't do it. But that's a personal choice, I'm not judging others.

"It's my personal opinion.

"But when people talk freely about players, I'm really surprised by that."

Dyche is happy to continue to do business his way, regardless of how others operate: "I just think you've got to have your own way of working, your beliefs on how you conduct yourself, generally.

"But it doesn't make it the right opinion, just mine.

"I've lost out on players, gained players, from situations being private, and had some great agents who've kept it right and private, and others who don't, immediately after a phone call, literally within five minutes, on the ticker tape on Sky.

"Either it was an amazing coincidence or an agent just happened to let someone at Sky know, possibly!"