FIRE STILL BURNING BRIGHT IN HEATON
TOM HEATON is going to let actions speak louder than words as he bids to return to the England squad.
The Burnley keeper has battled back from injury and uncertainty about his Turf Moor future to reclaim the No.1 shirt from Joe Hart.
And now Heaton is gunning for Three Lions first-choice Jordan Pickford ahead of next month’s European Championship qualifiers at home to Czech Republic and away at Montenegro.
Heaton, 32, has three caps to his name and is desperate for many more before he hangs up his gloves.
He said: “If the ambition is there to get involved, I know you have to be playing every week and putting in the performances to give yourself a chance.”
His road back to fitness and the first team has been a tough one but he has never been one to duck a dogfight.
After failing to make a breakthrough at Manchester United – and following loan moves to Swindon, Cardiff, Rochdale and Wycombe – he stuck at it and has become a top-class performer with Burnley.
Heaton (below) said: “I had quite a long time out with the injury. Then I got back fit again and wasn’t in the team which was a tough, frustrating time.
“But the fire never stopped burning and I am delighted to be back playing at this level again.
“Now I want to keep moving things forward, keep improving and keep getting better.
“When you’re chasing something down it’s not too bad. But when you get there, when you feel you’re ready and you still don’t get in, it’s difficult.
“Those are the times when you find out a bit about what you want. When you reset a few things.
“You look to push forward and I tried to do that. And thankfully, it’s paying me back a bit now.
“When we signed a new keeper it was a concern, yes. Or at least it was at the time. I just tried to be clear in my thinking.
“Thinking about myself and when the opportunity came whether it would be here. Whether it would be elsewhere.
“The thing is I wanted to be better than I was before and tried to work day in, day out and get through it that way.
“As much as the emotion involved in it can make it frustrating, if you put the work in you can always rely on that.”
Burnley have not lost a Premier League game since Heaton returned between the sticks for the 2-0 win at home to West Ham on December 30.
His comeback at club level now appears to be complete. The next thing on his agenda is an international return under England boss Gareth Southgate.
Heaton said: “Gareth hasn’t been in touch. We haven’t spoken to each other for quite a while but I wouldn’t have expected to.
“He’s brought people back in again in the past. And from my experience of him, he was always top-drawer when
I was involved. Hopefully I will be getting back involved in it again.
“We will see what happens but it’s certainly open from my end.
“That’s my ambition. That’s the level I want to play at.” KEEP IT REAL: Lloris’ warning GOOD SHOUT: Gini Wijnaldum is happy for James Milner (left) to call the shots he needs to do so as well as encourage them.
“You never know what might happen when he eventually stops playing but I think he might turn into a manager. “On the pitch he has shown he is willing to play anywhere. The manager decides where the players will play but when something needs to be fixed, everyone thinks about James.” Liverpool host Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 clash on Tuesday night and there is plenty of optimism on Merseyside. Wijnaldum believes the Milner factor will play a major part in Liverpool’s run-in with boss Jurgen Klopp (below) plotting potential success in both the Champions League and Premier League.
The Holland star added: “I think we are more consistent and that we have learned from the seasons before because the results are better and we have been winning more games. “Personally I feel different as a player too. Before I came to Liverpool I played more as an attacking midfielder but now it is much more of a regular midfielder. I feel comfortable.” Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has been ruled fit for the trip to Anfield after he suffered an injury scare in their 3-2 Bundesliga win over Augsburg on Friday. Coman scored twice as Bayern came from behind but turned his ankle towards the end of the game and had to be taken off.