BURNING AMBITION Clarets new boy Gibson couldn’t resist lure of European football and a boost to England hopes
LEAVING his hometown club after 15 years was hard enough – and even tougher when the chairman is your doting uncle.
But Ben Gibson, for once, placed his ambitions of playing in the Premier League ahead of his allegiance to Middlesbrough and chairman Steve Gibson.
The lure of European football also helped to seal the £15million move to Burnley for the Boro captain.
It meant a painful farewell to Uncle Steve, who had proudly overseen the central defender’s rise from a starry-eyed 10-year-old to wearing the skipper’s armband. “It wasn’t easy, but for both of us it was a professional decision,” said the new Clarets signing.
“I’ve lived the dream at Middlesbrough, going from watching them to captaining the team. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
It was the memory of some wonderful European nights 12 years ago – when Boro, under Steve McClaren, reached the UEFA Cup Final – which also helped Sean Dyche’s side finalise the transfer.
“Those nights watching the Boro against European opposition were just magical – nights I will never forget,” added Gibson.
He travelled to Istanbul last week for the Europa League tie against Istanbul Basaksehir and was an unused substitute in the goalless draw.
But Dyche (left) admires the 25-yearold’s leadership qualities and will use him extensively in a season where the Clarets are looking to replicate last season’s seventh-placed finish. Gibson believes Turf Moor will offer him the platform to give former Boro boss and now England manager Gareth Southgate a little nudge. Southgate added Gibson to his Three Lions squad in March 2017 for a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, but he only acted as cover and is still awaiting his first senior cap, following 10 games in the Under-21s.
“I’ve got to do the business first for Burnley but, hopefully, playing back in the Premier League will help with my England ambitions,” he added.
“It was nice to be involved – even just for one game.”
And, while some players have forced transfers in the mayhem of the final days of the summer window by going AWOL or handing their agent an exit agenda, Gibson was prepared to aid his boyhood club’s battle for promotion from the Championship until the Clarets came calling.
Now it is full steam ahead with Burnley, beginning with today’s trip to Southampton.
“Burnley finishing seventh and thus qualifying for the Europa League was a fantastic achievement,” said Gibson. “Let’s hope this is a really good chapter in Burnley’s history and is just the start of things to come.
“The measure of a fantastic team is not to do something once, but to repeat that time and time again. I know that’s what Sir Alex Ferguson always said about Manchester United.”