I WANT FAIR ROLL OF DYCHE
Long out to nail Burnley spot and stay in O’neill’s thoughts
KEVIN LONG is determined to start next season as he ended the last one with Burnley and Ireland by hitting the ground running.
The Corkman’s season was petering out until April when he was thrust into the Clarets side for the final three matches of the Premier League. Roy Keane’s attendance at the game against West Ham United on the final day of the Premier League proved a turning point too as his recommendation of the fellow Corkman earned him favour from Ireland manager Martin O’neill. After making his international debut in New York against Mexico as a substitute, the 26-year-old was granted a first start in the friendly with Uruguay. O’neill then made the shock call to include the Corkman alongside Shane Duffy in central-defence for the visit of Austria in a World Cup qualifier. With Burnley’s season kicking off at champions Chelsea on August 12 and the double-header with Georgia and Serbia to follow in early September, Long wants to retain his place in both teams. And, as he admits his club situation is INTERNATIONAL STAGE Kevin Long against Uruguay pivotal to his international ambitions, the vacancy in defence created by the departure Michael Keane’s departure to Everton is what he’s eyeing. “Michael Keane and Ben Mee had been the central-defensive partnership for two seasons, playing almost every single game,” said the former Cork City centre-back. “They were two of our best players but, with Keano gone now, there’s a place up for grabs. “There’s three of us battling for two spots at the moment and realistically the manager will probably go out and get another centre-back. “It’s up to me and the other lads to prove we’re good enough to be in the team. “I just want to build on what happened towards the end of last season. Our manager (Sean Dyche) congratulated me on my international breakthrough and told me to just keep going. For me, it’s all about progression. “The manager doesn’t make promises to anyone. I think he’ll pick the team judging on how I do training and the pre-season matches.” Patience was required by Long before his purple patch finally arrived as the summer approached. Having waited so long for first Premier League start and Ireland debut, he’s still coming to terms with the elevation. “Everything happened for me so fast that it hasn’t sunk in yet,” he confessed. “I’ve been at Burnley for eight years now and as a professional footballer you are there to play games. So I think it’s something you look back at the end of your career rather than think about now. “There’s a lot of tough games coming up for Burnley and Ireland but these occasions are the reason we play football. I’m looking forward to a busy few weeks.”