AL-DAKHIL EXCITED FOR TURF JOURNEY

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New recruit looking forward to starting Clarets career

2023-01-13T17:14:21.207Z

AL-DAKHIL EXCITED FOR TURF JOURNEY

New recruit looking forward to starting Clarets career

2023-01-13T17:14:21.207Z

New recruit looking forward to starting Clarets career

Ameen Al-Dakhil is raring to go after he became Vincent Kompany's first January transfer window signing on Friday afternoon, after penning a three-and-a-half-year deal at Turf Moor from Sint-Truidense V.V.

The central defender is hoping he can get off to a successful start in Claret & Blue and follow in the same steps as the likes of Anass Zaroury, Vitinho, Samuel Bastien and Manuel Benson who also joined the Club from the Belgian First Division.

In his first interview as a Claret, Al-Dakhil discussed the role that manager Kompany played in the move, the excitement of joining the 'project' at Burnley and his ambition to learn and improve as a defender.

Speaking to Clarets+ on Friday, the 20-year-old said: "It has been a very busy couple of days. Yesterday, I had a lot of tests that I had to do. It’s been busy and I haven’t slept much, but it’s part of the job and I’m very excited to get started now.

"I can leave everything behind me now and just focus on beginning to play with the team, knowing every player and the coach, I’m very excited for it.

"He [Vincent Kompany] played a big part in me moving here to Burnley. He was a very good defender, maybe the best ever, in Belgium.

"It’s an honour to have him as my coach and being next to him, I hope he can teach me a lot as a defender to become a better player.

"I will also talk with a lot of the defenders and players who can teach me, and feel really good here in the team."

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Al-Dakhil added: "I will do my best to perform well and give it everything for the players, the supporters and the staff. I hope I can give back for what they’re doing for me now, and help them to reach the Premier League.

"I moved here so I can learn a lot. I’m still young and I’ll be with players and coaches who have a lot of experience, I'm just so excited to play now."

The young defender has spent all of his early playing career in Belgium, after moving to the country aged five from Iraq, the centre-back rose through academy ranks at Anderlecht and Tienen.

There are a couple of familiar faces in camp, as Al-Dakhil then moved to Standard Liege in in 2017, where he played with current Claret midfielder Bastien and came up against Zaroury for Sporting de Charleroi. The centre-back also played with Zaroury for Belgium's U21s.

"It’s nice to already know some players here. I’m excited to see them again and play with them again.

I’ve played with Bastien but also against Zaroury at Charleroi and with him in the Belgian national teams. They’re very nice guys, so I hope to see them soon!"