DYCHE WELCOMES COLLINS AS PRE-SEASON BEGINS

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Gaffer on summer signing - with more on the radar!

2021-07-09T11:03:33.000Z

DYCHE WELCOMES COLLINS AS PRE-SEASON BEGINS

Gaffer on summer signing - with more on the radar!

2021-07-09T11:03:33.000Z

Sean Dyche welcomed Nathan Collins to Turf Moor – and promised fans that money is available to add to the squad.

Former Stoke City defender Collins, 20, linked up with his new team-mates as the Clarets returned to training at Barnfield on Thursday.

And Dyche feels the Republic of Ireland U21 international will prove to be a shrewd purchase, as he plots more new arrivals before the start of the Premier League season.

The Clarets boss said: “Nathan is certainly a player who we feel can continue to develop into what we do here, and as a player.

“The plan going forward is to add to the group wherever necessary and when we can. I’ve said all along that it’s smaller steps and the finances still have to be in balance, but Nathan will be a very good acquisition by the club going forwards and there are other things on the radar that we’re looking at.

“We’re pushing and trying to get them over the line and I assure everyone that it’s not always about finance.

“Sometimes it is, but there is finance available, I can assure everyone and we are looking at players that fit us, and are what we need.”

The Clarets first team squad were back on the grass on Thursday afternoon, following a morning of testing fitness levels.

DYCHE WELCOMES COLLINS AS PRE-SEASON BEGINS - Image 2

And plans have now been altered going forward, with Dyche cancelling a planned pre-season training camp in Austria in favour of stepping up the schedule at Barnfield.

He explained: “We had an away trip to Austria planned, which we use to as a psychological break and to break up the intensive training, but we’ve had to pull that through the quarantine rules, at this stage.

“Even if the players were allowed in the workplace, they couldn’t do much else, and it’s just a bit inhuman, after being away from their families for seven days, to say they could only come in here and do nothing else.

“In the end, there’s a couple of other clubs who were due to go to Austria who have made the same decision, and we’ve mentioned before about the quality of the building, the pitches and fantastic environment we have here, so it’s not exactly a major problem.”

*Don’t miss our first sit-down of pre-season with the Gaffer on Clarets+ The manager also chats about witnessing England’s historic Wembley semi-final win over Denmark, staff changes and Chris Wood linking up with the New Zealand Olympic squad. *