OPPORTUNITIES HAVE BEEN scarce for Kevin Long at Burnley, but the Republic of Ireland international outlined his importance to the club again on Saturday.
The 29-year-old centre-back delivered an impressive display over 90 minutes as the Clarets ended Liverpool’s run of 24 consecutive home wins.
The 1-1 draw with the Premier League champions marked Long’s third consecutive start. It was also his 70th appearance in total for a club he joined from Cork City in 2010.
With captain Ben Mee sidelined due to injury, Long has been drafted into the side as they aim to keep their hopes of qualification for the Europa League alive.
His start against Sheffield United last week was his first in the Premier League since December 2018, so the Corkman had to remain patient before helping his club extend their unbeaten run to five matches.
“It’s hard coming in and trying to step up and perform well,” he said. “But the lads have been really helpful with a good shape all-round and it’s easier to come into the team when we’re well drilled and we know what’s happening.
“That’s all I can do: come in and try and perform well and work as hard as I can. It’s all about working hard on the training pitch. All you can do is keep fit and if your chance does come you have to make sure you’re ready and that’s all I try and do.”
Long, Burnley’s longest-serving current player, saw his early years at Turf Moor hindered by injuries. He also spent considerable time away from the club, gaining senior experience while on loan at Accrington Stanley, Rochdale, Portsmouth, Barnsley and MK Dons.
Despite the scarcity of first-team openings at Burnley, he has remained a valued member of the squad. In October 2018, he was rewarded with a new three-year contract. Long has also won 13 senior caps for Ireland since his debut in June 2017. He scored his first international goal in the 3-1 win against Bulgaria last September.
When asked about Long last week, Burnley manager Sean Dyche said: “It has been difficult for him to break through and play more regularly, but if you look down the years, he does get a clutch of games every season and he has often delivered. He’s respected and he knows that.
“I can assure you Kevin Long often pops in and has a word with me, ‘look gaffer, I’m working, I want to play’ – he’s not accepting of it, but he’s professional enough to know he has to be ready and right.
“We talk to all the players about it, all the time: when your chance comes, be ready to deliver. It’s no good questioning it, and your chance comes and you’re not ready to deliver because you don’t stay in the team.”
Tenth-placed Burnley play the first of their three remaining Premier League games for this season tomorrow evening when they entertain Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“It was a great performance from the lads,” Long said of the draw with Liverpool. “Popey [Nick Pope] made a few great saves and showed the quality he has as a keeper, but I think from back to front everybody defended brilliantly and we got a good point.
“They have been deserved champions. They have played unbelievable football all season and when you see the quality they have, the pace up front and they are a threat pretty much all over the pitch. To get a point is brilliant.”
He added: “We want to get maximum points from the three games remaining and the lads are going to try and do that. It’s a quick turn-around all the time so we just need to make sure everyone is fit and ready and just go again.”
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Good to see Eamon Dunphy was spot on with his assessment of Brazil during his rant at the end of the champions league final…
Piques trips don’t lie….
And then Neymar does that!!!
outrageous. great goal.Barca will be happy. the Luiz clearance was a massive turning point
game was well over when luiz cleared
Brazil are still a class team. I think they will go on and win the World Cup for a sixth time.
Not a hope, they are only good in all those “nobody cares” cups or world tours.
Titles or cups meant nothing tonight. That was a simple case of passion and “who’s the best”. What a game! Fook the begrudgers”
Some clearance from Luiz that was more impressive than Neymars goal
Trappatoni has to go!
This is Spain’s Bishop Brennan’s kick up the arse. They’ll be back.
Def not joe, Brazil seem to really want it. But great clearance by David Luiz, coulda been a draw.
After the passionate singing of the national anthem there was always only going to be one winner. Brazil were awesome at times. Great curtain raiser for WC 2014.
I hope now people stop saying Neymar is the most overrated player ever.
first time since 1985 spain lose 3-0
Shakira played a great game.
Richie sadlier sounds like gift grubs Shane lunch :D
scrappy goal.arbeloa having a nightmare. have money on Spain. not looking good at the moment
Tippy tappy taps out!
After watching that masterpiece by Brazil tonight do you all, well almost all, still think as you did last year here on thejournal.ie, the Euro is of a much higher standard than The World Cup? :) :) :)
Brazil were class tonight! David Luiz was like a man possesed! Can’t wait to see Neymar playing with Barca! The only thing I’ll say is Spain played 120 minutes against Italy,had a days less rest & that pitch wasn’t fixed up since the last match.
Best game any of you will ever see!!
That would be France v Germany in the 1982 World Cup. I haven’t googled anything, so I may have something slightly wrong.
Did you watch it at the tennis club Paul?
I didn’t see the match, just saw the goals. I did see Brazil’s games against Italy and another team and was unimpressed with the standard of football. I know football and politics are two completely different things but at a time when there is so much trouble, pain and anger in the country, a lot of which is centred around the costs of holding a world cup and having terrible health care, high taxes, poor education etc, I would have felt sorry for brazil if they lost the game because the country needs a lift and something to cheer about and there were a lot of sacrifices made for it. I was surprised to see the score of 3-0 and I wonder if Spain weren’t giving it 100 per cent for these reasons above. As I said I didn’t see the game so I’m not saying they didn’t deserve to win, I just wonder if the result would have been different if it was the world cup final at stake.
Here’s where your analysis fell down – “I didn’t see the match”. Spain looked tired and Brazil broke them. They could have won by 5
Haha fair enough
Just figured out why good comments get red thumbs including trolls……..!!
I always knew that my team would get back on track ;) also I think that they needed some time to reconnect again with the new players