ICE SCREAM CORNET
Cork: We didn’t put new boy Maxwell in cold river like other newbies... he’s too nice a guy
Premier League: 3pm
MAXWEL CORNET is already in tune with his new Burnley team-mates.
Cornet has settled quickly at Turf Moor by scoring a goal and making an assist in his first four games since his £12.85million switch from Lyon.
The Ivory Coast international has also come through his Burnley initiation ceremony of having to sing to his new Clarets pals.
Cornet was spared having to wade into the River Calder at the club’s Gawthorpe training ground like other newbies.
Midfielder Jack Cork said: “He finds it hard enough to get out in the cold weather at training, let alone get in the river! He did a song, I can’t remember when exactly, I think it was before the Leicester game. But he’s definitely done a song, although I can’t remember what it was.”
Cornet is having to adapt to a new environment, and Cork (above) reckons he is trying hard to assimilate. “Yeah, he’s a top guy,” he said.
“He’s come in and he’s tried to socialise with everyone. He’s a happy guy.
“He comes in smiling to everyone, says, ‘Good morning’.
“He wants to try to speak to everyone and have a conversation with everyone.
“He’s just a good guy to have around. He’s exciting when he plays and brings a good positive mentality to the group.
“He doesn’t speak much English, but he does try to speak it as much as he can. It must be tough coming to a different country and having to integrate with everyone is difficult. But fair play to him, he’s doing well.”
Cornet has been the biggest plus from Burnley’s difficult start and they face Southampton at St Mary’s today still waiting for their first win.
Cork is a veteran of several successful relegation fights during his career and says he and his Clarets team-mates have enough experience to handle this latest one.
“I’ve been at Swansea (left) where we’ve had nine points at Christmas and stayed up,” said Cork, who won promotion to the Premier League with Saints in 2012. “It’s a long season.
“We’ve got the experience in our squad not to panic. There’s no panic here, we just take it day by day. We will crack on with it and we know we have done it before.”