Everton defender Michael Keane headlines Burnley’s last starting XI to play on the opening day of the Championship season in 2015 ahead of the Clarets’ second-tier return this term.
The Turf Moor natives will contend a Championship campaign for the first time in six years this season after enduring relegation from the Premier League. Sean Dyche led the Clarets to the promised land in 2015/16 ahead of Middlesbrough and play-off champions Hull City.
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But the Clarets’ top-flight stay came to an end this May as interim boss Mike Jackson failed to eclipse Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United on the final day. Vincent Kompany will now hope to get a promotion-worthy campaign underway against Huddersfield Town on Friday, July 29.
Vokes drew Burnley level at Leeds in Clarets’ last Championship opening day clash
It was away to Leeds seven years ago that Dyche got Burnley’s promotion-winning season underway with a 1-1 draw. Sam Vokes came off the bench to score the Clarets’ equaliser in the 86th minute after Mirco Antenucci had broken the deadlock just three minutes before.
Antenucci put the Whites ahead with a curling, 25-yard effort after Stuart Dallas and Alex Mowatt had hit the woodwork. Leeds also survived two penalty shouts after Charlie Taylor appeared to pull Lukas Jutkiewicz down and Giuseppe Bellusci handled the ball in the box.
Vokes eventually ensured Burnley left Elland Road with a point approaching stoppage-time when the substitute met Tendayi Darikwa’s delivery. The right-back floated the ball in from the wing for the striker to head past Marco Silvestri when the points seemed to be Leeds’.
Not one of the 11 players Dyche started when Burnley last played on the opening day of a Championship season remain at Turf Moor now. So, with that in mind, who started in 2015 at Leeds, and where are they all now ahead of the Clarets’ curtain-raiser at Huddersfield?
Tom Heaton (GK): Man Utd man in Burnley’s last Championship opening day XI
Tom Heaton featured in goal at Leeds seven years ago as part of Burnley’s last opening day Championship XI. The shot-stopper had moved to Turf Moor in 2013 from Bristol City, and stayed there until Aston Villa spent £8m in 2019 before joining Manchester United in 2021.
His Lancashire adventure would return the most appearances at a single club of his career so far with 200 games. The 36-year-old also kept 65 clean sheets in all competitions and he broke into the England squad during 2015, before securing his international debut in 2016.
Tendayi Darikwa (RB): Wigan captain in Burnley’s last Championship opening day XI
Darikwa made his competitive Burnley debut in the Clarets’ last XI to start on the opening day of a Championship season at Leeds in 2015. The right-back had joined Dyche’s side for £500k from Chesterfield, and stayed at Turf Moor until Nottingham Forest moved in 2017.
The City Ground natives paid an initial £2m for the full-back, despite Darikwa only making 29 appearances for Burnley. He would go on to play 63 times for Nottingham Forest before signing with Wigan Athletic in January 2021, where the defender is now the Latics’ captain.
Michael Keane (CB): Everton star in Burnley’s last Championship opening day XI
Michael Keane joined Burnley from Manchester United in a £2m deal in January 2015 after an initial loan that season. He would go on to amass 108 appearances for the Clarets up to 2017, including starting at Leeds in 2015, before joining Everton for £25m, rising to £31m.
Michael Duff (CB): Defender retired in 2016 after Burnley promotion win
Michael Duff started the last time Burnley played on the opening day of the Championship season in 2015. And the defender would retire at the end of that campaign, having helped the Clarets win the title 12 years after joining the Turf Moor side and playing in 382 games.
Ben Mee (LB): Star of Burnley’s last Championship opening day now at Brentford
Dyche utilised Ben Mee’s versatility to start him at left-back in Burnley’s last opening day Championship XI in 2015. The 32-year-old would hold a wider role in 128 of his 376 games for the Clarets between leaving Manchester City in 2011 and joining Brentford this month.
George Boyd (RM): Star of Burnley’s last Championship opening day is retired
George Boyd hung up his boots for the final time in 2021 after retiring following more than 550 senior appearances. The winger enjoyed 123 matches with Burnley between 2014 and 2017, having joined from Hull City for £3m before moving to Sheffield Wednesday for free.
David Jones (CM): Former Clarets star now a free agent after Wrexham exit
David Jones is now a free agent at 37 years old after leaving National League Wrexham at the end of last season. The midfielder enjoyed his best spell with a club while on Burnley’s books from 2013 to 2016, having amassed 131 games for three goals and 12 assists there.
Scott Arfield (CM): Rangers star in Burnley’s last Championship opening day XI
Rangers star Scott Arfield opened the game when Burnley last featured on the opening day of a Championship season. The 33-year-old had moved to Turf Moor from Huddersfield for free, and stuck around for five years and 193 games before heading to Ibrox on a Bosman.
Michael Kightly (LM): Former Clarets star now a free agent after Rushall exit
Former Burnley star Michael Kightly has been a free agent since leaving Rushall in 2021. He returned to the game with the non-league side in 2020 after the 36-year-old left Southend United in 2019, for whom he joined from the Clarets in 2017 after four years at Turf Moor.
Lukas Jutkiewicz (ST): Birmingham star’s wait for maiden Burnley goal continued
Jutkiewicz started the last time Burnley featured on the opening day of the Championship season, but could not end his wait for a first Clarets goal. The striker left Middlesbrough to move to Turf Moor in 2014 for £2.5m, yet he would never open his account with the club.
Dyche afforded Jutkiewicz 25 of his 35 Clarets appearances in the 2014/15 Premier League season. Yet just five further games would follow in the second-tier before a loan deal with Birmingham City arrived in 2016, while completing a permanent £1m switch in January ‘17.
Jelle Vossen (ST): Striker spent just two months at Turf Moor in 2015
Jelle Vossen only spent two months at Burnley in the summer of 2015, having left for Club Brugge just weeks after arriving from KRC Genk. Dyche spent £2.5m to sign the striker, but he could not settle at Turf Moor – citing ‘mostly for family reasons’ for his swift departure.
The now-Zulte Waregem attacker since 2020 would fail to score across his five games with Burnley, but provided an assist. He was also the first player Dyche brought off at Leeds the last time Burnley featured on the opening day of the Championship season in August 2015.
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