Burnley boss Sean Dyche insists he’s willing to sign more overseas players to help club progress

Sean Dyche won’t be averse to break with tradition and sign more overseas players at Burnley if he considers it’ll help the club progress.

Dyche has earned a reputation for building a British and Irish-based squad at Turf Moor with New Zealander Chris Wood and Dutchman Erik Pieters the only ‘foreigners’ involved in their last game against Wolves.

Burnley haven’t signed anyone from a club outside England since Steven Defour joined from Anderlecht in 2016, a contrast to Sunday’s opponents Leeds who brought in five players from France, Spain and Germany in the last window to cope with the Premier League.

Though Brexit will toughen up regulations governing football imports, the impending buy-out of Burnley from American investors ALK Capital could alter the transfer strategy, and Dyche is keen to stress he isn’t an insular manager who would only look within the British Isles for.

‘When you’re a manager you don’t mind where players are from. It is how good they are and how they can help your team to win,’ said Dyche.

‘I know people say “Oh, they don’t like foreign players,” but they are just generalising. It’s about getting the budgets and bringing in the ones who can make you successful.

‘Ours has been about bringing in players who have maybe fallen out of the Premier League and polishing them up a bit, breathing bit of life back into them, or ones coming out of the Championship.

In contrast to Burnley’s British/Irish core, Leeds signed many overseas players in the summer

‘That has been a good market for us. It’s about finding the ones who fit us financially and can help us.

‘Leeds have put in a Lot of money over the last couple of seasons. It’s not all about the manager (Marcelo Bielsa) having this style or whatever.’

Dyche’s lower league bargains have proved invaluable to Burnley’s prolonged stay in the top flight.

Goalkeeper Nick Pope and centre half James Tarkowski have progressed from Championship players to England internationals and midfielder Josh Brownhill has proved an identikit Clarets signing after making 150 appearances for Bristol City.

‘We have a lot of good stories and Browny is showing clear signs he’s got a real desire to be successful,’ added Dyche, whose side have climbed out of the relegation zone after four unbeaten games.

Central defender James Tarkowski has developed into an England international at Burnley

‘Credit to the scouts. We’d seen a lot of clips, did lot of background and got him in. It took him a bit of time to get used to the edge we want from players here and he has taken everything on.

‘He’s a fit lad, has a real good attitude – one of many here who has. The thing is everyone wants things instantly these days. We can’t work like that, we buy them, polish them up a bit.

‘Look at Tripps (Kieran Trippier) and Keano (Michael Keane) or Andre (Gray). We did that and got big returns on them, Ingsy (Danny Ings) as well. I like that side of what we do and the side the players play in it.

‘Browny is another sign of that desire to take your chance when it comes your way – the chance to show you can be a bona fide Premier League player.’