15 June 2022

Connor Roberts expecting eye-opening signings from Burnley boss Vincent Kompany

15 June 2022

Connor Roberts expects new Burnley boss Vincent Kompany to sign players who would previously not have been interested in joining the club.

Kompany was named Burnley boss on Tuesday after quitting his job as Anderlecht head coach after three years in late May.

The former Manchester City and Belgium captain takes over following the club’s relegation from the Premier League and a mass clear-out at Turf Moor.

Wales defender Roberts believes Kompany’s standing in the game will benefit Burnley, saying: “We do need to add and I’m sure Vincent will have his targets.

“Hopefully he’s got contacts from Man City, and other places he’s been, to bring in players that maybe before wouldn’t have been that interested in joining Burnley.

“It’s an exciting time to be a Burnley fan. Obviously it was disappointing to get relegated, but there’s going to be lots of changes. So exciting times.

“It’s been in the pipeline for a month and he’s in the building now.

“I can’t wait to get back there to see what the future holds for myself, him and the team.

“To have someone like that as a manager, who was a colossus back in the day… he is going to pass that on and get us to do that for him.”

Kompany takes over from caretaker boss Mike Jackson, who was handed control after Sean Dyche was sacked in April but could not save the club from dropping into the Championship.

The 36-year-old moves into the hot-seat at Turf Moor with huge changes on the playing side.

A total of 14 professionals are leaving the club, including the likes of captain Ben Mee, James Tarkowski, Aaron Lennon, Phil Bardsley and Erik Pieters.

Roberts said: “It’s going to be all hands on deck to bring players in over the next few weeks.

“We’ve got players left who are more than capable of being right up there next season. But the Championship is hard to judge.

“You get teams who come from nowhere and others you expect to do well and don’t. It’s hard to tell until you get a settled team.”

Roberts revealed he has not made up with Burnley team-mate Wout Weghorst after their Cardiff spat last week.

Weghorst scored a stoppage time Nations League winner for Holland against Wales, upon which Roberts confronted him to ask why he didn’t do that for Burnley.

The Dutchman, who scored just twice after joining from Wolfsburg in a £12million deal in January and has signalled his intention to quit Burnley following relegation, responded by appearing to tell Roberts to ‘shut up’.

Asked if he had made up with Weghorst, Roberts said: “No, not yet.” Questioned if he would, he added: “Yeah – if he comes back.”

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