Credit: Imago

James Barker

Thu 30 April 2026 17:10, UK

Burnley moving on from Scott Parker ahead of their game with Leeds United on Friday may see the Clarets pose a bigger threat to the Whites.

The battle of the two Championship centurions from last season has seen a major plotline added to it on the eve of the clash.

Leeds welcome Burnley to Elland Road for an 8pm kick-off on Friday evening, with a Whites win making sure of their Premier League status for 2026-27.

Already relegated to the second tier, Burnley have little to play for in West Yorkshire other than pride, and those types of teams can often be banana skins for sides such as Leeds, who still have pressure on the points.

Leeds will be favourites to beat Burnley, but the now-managerless Clarets rock up to Elland Road with a fresh sense of impetus.

Burnley might be more dangerous to Leeds without Scott Parker

Indeed, Thursday has seen a decision finally reached on Parker’s future at Burnley, and that is for both parties to move in a different direction, with the 45-year-old exiting by mutual consent.

Parker took over as Clarets boss in the summer of 2024, and as aforementioned, guided them to a 100-point automatic promotion-winning season in the Championship last term, finishing second to Leeds only on goal difference.

However, with just four wins to their name in the Premier League this season, he’s been unable to kick the Turf Moor outfit on like Daniel Farke has done with Leeds.

So, going up against a managerless Clarets side has surely made things even easier for the Whites on Friday, right? Well, maybe not.

Typically when a manager loses his job like this, it’s because he’s not getting the best out of his players and has likely lost large sections of the dressing room as such.

Obviously, we’re not privy to the emotions flying round the Burnley camp at the moment, but it’s fair to assume that there won’t exactly have been an overly positive feel around the place over recent weeks.

But with change now arriving in that part of Lancashire, a fresh slate will now be presented to that playing squad, who may now feel like the shackles have been taken off them.

Or on the flip side, that Clarets dressing room may have loved Parker and not wished to see him leave, which if the case, they should feel a sense of responsibility for his exit, and that could fuel a reaction too.

Either way, up until Thursday, Leeds were preparing for a Parker-led Burnley side, but now they’re in the hands of interim manager Mike Jackson, there is a real element of the unknown surrounding how the Clarets will play now.

Who is Burnley’s interim manager Mike Jackson?

So, who is Burnley’s caretaker boss, and what experience does Jackson have in the coaching world?

Well, the 52-year-old Runcorn-born coach enjoyed a long playing career as a defender, representing numerous clubs such as Crewe, Bury, Preston, Tranmere and Blackpool respectively.

He ended his playing career in January 2010, and began his coaching journey in that same year with Shrewsbury Town.

From there, he eventually became Shrewsbury’s full-time manager in 2014, before eventually becoming an assistant and later manager of Tranmere Rovers in 2020.

The summer of 2021 saw him move to Burnley as interim manager of their Under-23s, before stepping up as their caretaker boss when Sean Dyche was sacked in April 2022.

He won three of his first four games in that role, and was even named Premier League Manager of the Month for April that year.

Jackson eventually reverted back to being an assistant coach at Burnley upon their appointment of Vincent Kompany, from which he’s been ever since.