HARWOOD-BELLIS ON HAPPY MOOD IN CAMP

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Defender discusses pushing on to achieve more this campaign

2023-04-13T17:04:51.296Z

HARWOOD-BELLIS ON HAPPY MOOD IN CAMP

Defender discusses pushing on to achieve more this campaign

2023-04-13T17:04:51.296Z

Defender discusses pushing on to achieve more this campaign

Taylor Harwood-Bellis is delighted to be back in the squad following a long-term injury and despite Friday night's promotion winning celebrations in Middlesbrough, says the team are intent on taking it game by game to achieve more this season.

“First of all, we’re obviously buzzing to be up and promoted but as the manager said we’ve not got any silverware to show for that yet, so we’re pushing for the title. Records can be broken, we all know that, so we’ve got to take each game as it comes but we’ll be pushing for that as well.

“Over the season it’s been unreal, it was no surprise that we’d be successful but how successful has been unbelievable. It just shows the hard work that we put in, that the manager puts in. The mood is top at the minute.”

Having signed in the summer, the defender was asked when he recognised that this group could do something special.

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“I think pre-season was very positive in terms of the lads believing what the manager’s putting to us, how he wants to play. So that was positive that the lads were buying into it and the games, you could see the little snippets of how it would work if we get it right. Then obviously the Huddersfield game, we played some good stuff and that’s when it really hit, and I thought we could be a team this season.

“The last-minute goals, they’re the ones where you think it could be going our way this season. Just the desire and the spirit that we all have as a group, staff and players, is something that I think can’t be matched.”

The chance to work under Vincent Kompany was a big pull for the Manchester City defender to sign on loan with the Clarets, and he praises the time he has spent developing under the manager.

“He is demanding [to work for], but we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t want that as players. It’s what we need, we don’t want anyone telling us how good we are and sugar coating everything, he’s not going to do that. He just puts it straight to you; this is how I want you to play. If you’re not doing it right then they tell you how to improve, which is the most important thing. He’s not just going to tell you you’re doing it wrong and that’s it. To be fair all the staff do that. He’s positive when he needs to be positive, when he needs to be hard on you, he’s hard on you. I think he’s got the balance perfect, and you’ll hear from the lads it’s joyful, we enjoy playing under him and you can see from the football that it’s successful as well.”

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Harwood-Bellis returned to the starting line-up when Burnley welcomed Sunderland to Turf Moor at the end of March, a day that had been a long time coming following his injury spell.

“For me personally it’s been a long time. I don’t know how many weeks it was, but it was a long time. It did drag out a bit, it was my first long term injury, but I thought I dealt with it well. When I first stepped back against Sunderland, I didn’t feel like I’d been away. I was back where I enjoy my time the most, at the Turf. It was tough but I’m buzzing to be back.”

January saw the backline bolstered, with Ameen Al-Dakhil and Hjalmar Ekdal joining the ranks, something Harwood-Bellis sees as a positive.

“It’s good to have competition. For me personally, there needs to be competition, I compete against myself every day, trying to better myself but if there’s other people there that you know can take the shirt, I’ve got to take their shirt, then it’s good to have, it’s healthy to have competition. They [Ameen and Hjalmar] are really good lads, the same with Jordan [Beyer]. We get on really well and there’s going to be no hard feelings if one of them starts and I’m on the bench or anything like that. I’m a team player, I want everyone to do well and that’s down to them being really good lads, they’ve fitted in really well.”