Tom Heaton has welcomed the arrival of another former Manchester United colleague at Burnley, with ‘the sky the limit’ for defender Michael Keane.
Tom Heaton has told the Lancashire Telegraph that ‘the sky’s the limit’ for Burnley new boy Michael Keane.
The highly-rated defender is the latest arrival at Turf Moor to have emerged out of the academy ranks at a Manchester heavyweight.
Sean Dyche now has five such players on his books, with Keane joining fellow Old Trafford graduates Heaton and David Jones on the Clarets’ books.
Meanwhile, Ben Mee and Kieran Trippier have swapped life at Manchester City for that a North West rival.
Heaton is delighted to see so many familiar faces around him at Burnley and believes Keane, who has made a permanent move after initially joining the Clarets on loan, has the potential to become one of the Premier League’s leading centre-halves.
He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “We seem to be gathering a bit of a troupe. I’ve enjoyed playing with Keano since he came into the team.
“I think a centre half playing in the Premier League at 21 or 22, I don’t think there’s too many of those about, so fair play to him. The sky’s the limit for him. Obviously his size is important, he’s quick, he’s good on the ball, he’s good in the air, what else do you need?
“He has another side to him as well. He can tackle, he can head it, he can put the blocks in, so if he can mix the two sides to his game and find the balance he can be an outstanding player. He has got an awful lot about him and a lot more to come. He’s a very good signing for us.”
| Total Clearance | Outfielder Block | Total Tackle | Duel Won | Aerial Won | Interception | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Shackell | 237 | 28 | 13 | 119 | 87 | 28 | 22 | 1,907 |
| Michael Keane | 101 | 6 | 13 | 75 | 57 | 31 | 13 | 964 |
| Ben Mee | 93 | 14 | 36 | 100 | 46 | 37 | 17 | 1,447 |
| Kieran Trippier | 86 | 8 | 40 | 125 | 47 | 48 | 22 | 1,976 |
Burnley have snapped Keane up after seeing others help to mould him into the player he is today.
United spotted his potential at a young age, but loan spells at Leicester City, Derby County and Blackburn Rovers allowed him to get competitive minutes under his belt.
He has now taken his game to another level at Turf Moor and, as an England U21 international, will be hoping to shine domestically and internationally for many years to come.
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