TUANZEBE LEFT 'GRATEFUL' AFTER MAKING CLARETS DEBUT

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Defender discusses first game for the Club and upcoming fixtures

2025-10-07T14:19:53.881Z

TUANZEBE LEFT 'GRATEFUL' AFTER MAKING CLARETS DEBUT

Defender discusses first game for the Club and upcoming fixtures

2025-10-07T14:19:53.881Z

TUANZEBE EAGER TO MAKE IT COUNT AGAINST THE BEES - Image 1

Axel Tuanzebe was made to wait 101 days to make his Burnley debut, after a minor injury kept the defender ruled out of the opening few weeks of the Premier League campaign.

However, after making his first start for Scott Parker's side on Sunday afternoon at Villa Park, the centre-back is eager for this to just be the start of his chapter at Turf Moor.

Speaking post-match in the Midlands, Tuanzebe confessed his gratitude to the Head Coach and the medical staff for allowing the DR Congo international to get up-to full speed.

The 27-year-old, who had previously only had match minutes in the Carabao Cup, confessed: "It was good, a nice feeling. The Club have been great with me from the day I walked in here back in the summer.

"Obviously I had a little niggle that I needed to get right and everyone has been nice and patient with me, but it was good to get out there today.

"I can only be grateful to everyone here, the gaffer, the medical team and everyone else, hopefully this is just the start of the campaign for me, so I can showcase what I can do and give it my all."

TUANZEBE LEFT 'GRATEFUL' AFTER MAKING CLARETS DEBUT - Image 1

The former Manchester United and Aston Villa man continued: "I think as a player, as a competitor, the more games you play the more you shake off any bugs or niggles and you become more and more natural as you go on.

"I want to get to that level again here at Burnley, playing consistently and playing with this great group of lads, it's a fantastic dressing room we have here.

"We have a great captain in Josh Cullen and we all have the right belief to achieve something great this season."

Next up for the Clarets is a home clash with fellow promoted side Leeds United, before a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers the following week.

After facing Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City in the opening seven games, Tuanzebe insists the fixtures do not get any easier and that he and his teammates won't be underestimating any opposition.

"It's the Premier League and no one is going to give you anything for free in this league, it's ruthless.

TUANZEBE LEFT 'GRATEFUL' AFTER MAKING CLARETS DEBUT - Image 2

"You can't look at any game and think 'ok we will win this one' or 'we will win a load of points here', you just can't do that.

"If you start underestimating teams or start throwing around words like 'we should win', that's when you can just get turned over and left blindsided because you're not expecting a team to be at a certain level.

"This league demands the absolute best, every player and team are here on merit and because they can perform to the best level and it's going to be no different in these next couple of games."