CLARETS NET RECORD-BREAKER HENNESSEY

The Clarets have added more proven Premier League pedigree to their squad with the capture of record-breaking Wales international goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Hennessey joins Burnley as a free agent following his departure from top-flight rivals Crystal Palace and has agreed a two-year deal – with a further year’s option – at Turf Moor.

The 34-year-old former Palace and Wolves keeper brings a wealth of top-flight experience for club and country with him to Burnley’s goalkeeping department, which is currently headed by England international Nick Pope.

Hennessey has been capped 96 times by Wales – a record for a goalkeeper for his country and only six behind the overall appearance record held by defender Chris Gunter.

The Bangor-born shot-stopper has also surpassed the record number of clean sheets by a Wales goalkeeper, having gone past the 34 kept by the legendary figure of Neville Southall.

Hennessey also brings with him the know-how of 181 Premier League appearances for Palace and Wolves, where he was also a Championship title winner in 2008/09 early in his senior Molineux career.

After more than a decade with the West Midlands club – which included playing loan spells with Stockport County, where he set a then-Football League record of nine successive clean sheets, and Yeovil Town – the six-feet, six-inch keeper then joined Palace in January, 2014.

Hennessey – who becomes the Clarets’ second senior summer signing after defender Nathan Collins – went on to become first-choice keeper for the Eagles as they went about securing an uninterrupted eight-year run in the Premier League.

More recently he provided competition and cover for Vicente Guaita at Selhurst Park and took his number of appearances for the Londoners to 132 before ending his seven-and-a-half year stay with Palace last month.

On the international front, Hennessey progressed through the Wales’ youth ranks to make his full debut in 2007.

He has since become a leading figure in Welsh football history, helping his country qualify for their first major tournament finals in almost 60 years and then reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

He then started every game as Wales also qualified for the delayed Euro 2020 finals and with his sights set on a century of caps, will hopefully chalk up another major milestone as a Burnley player in squad number 13.