Michael Keane reiterated the collective belief among the Burnley squad by insisting the Clarets can make a fist of life in the Premier League.

Keane played a crucial role in Burnley’s hard-earned point against Manchester United at Old Trafford, in which he and his fellow defenders – and goalkeeper Tom Heaton – thwarted the efforts of their hosts to secure a first point away from Turf Moor this season.

The 23-year-old said "to come to Old Trafford and get a point is a massive step for us," and believes the club can "kick on from here."

Keane also thinks the draw at his old stomping ground "shows people what we can do," insisting that he and his teammates "have belief in the changing room, and I think we may have surprised people already."

Club captain Heaton earned special acclaim for his performance, in which he denied United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on numerous occasions in a frustrating afternoon for the former Sweden international and his teammates.

Keane said that "everyone put a great shift in leading from the back," and noted that "against quality players, you’re going to get a number of shots against you and Heats was fantastic with that."

Past ties and future plans

Similarly to Keane, Heaton also came through the ranks at Old Trafford, the defender said "some of the staff and the players know us from our time here," but acknowledged that "the focus on what was happening on the pitch, and I thought we dealt with that well."

Burnley welcome Crystal Palace to Turf Moor next Saturday for another tough test and, if Keane can continue his recent sparkling form, a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad – named on Sunday – should not be ruled out.

And the defender noted "club form is most important, and hopefully England will be looking at me," before adding, having reached the senior squad last time, "my aim is to keep these performances up and hopefully stay there."

VAVEL Logo
About the author