MY ACCOUNT
Beleaguered Burnley needed January signing Wout Weghorst to hit the ground running — and that is exactly what the giant Dutchman has done.
Weghorst, 29, was handed the No9 shirt at Turf Moor following his £12million deadline day arrival from Wolfsburg.
Tasked with replacing Newcastle-bound Chris Wood, the 6ft 6in forward has been a revelation in his opening four Premier League games and brilliantly broke his duck in Saturday’s stunning 3-0 win at Brighton.
Ahead of the Clarets’ clash with Tottenham this evening, we consider whether he can inspire the unlikeliest of great escapes in Lancashire.
Instant impact
Weghorst’s arrival in the English top-flight had the look of a crucial move for both club and player.
Burnley, plunging towards relegation and still seething from the loss of key marksman Wood to a relegation rival, were not in a position to misfire in the market.
Meanwhile, a switch to Turf Moor for the unfashionable Dutchman offered as much risk as it did reward.
At 29, failure to make an impact in the Clarets’ survival bid would have left Weghorst at a real career crossroads come the summer.
Though it is still early days, early performances have quickly put any such concerns to bed.
Brighton brilliance
Having already drawn praise when terrorising Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire earlier in the month, Weghorst really came to the party at Brighton last Saturday.
Expertly curling home Connor Roberts’ low cross after 21 minutes, the Netherlands international showed brute strength and guile to set up Josh Brownhill’s deflected strike just before the break.
Coming off in the dying minutes once a precious three points were in the bag, Burnley’s new talisman left the Amex to a standing ovation from the away end.
There were no signs of Weghorst resting on his laurels come full-time, either.
He said: “Last week against Liverpool, it was clear that I had some good opportunities and I want to help the team and the club. I want to pay them back and it’s all about goals as a striker.
“We go into games the right way. There’s still a long way to go, it’s only one win and three points, and we will absolutely need much more than that, but it is a good step, and we have to continue.”
Setting the tone
In his Bundesliga days, Weghorst amassed a reputation as one of the division’s more vibrant characters.
His towering stature means he is never likely to blend in on the field and the target man seems to carry that mantra into life outside of football, saying what he thinks and doing things his own way.
And the emotional impact of Weghorst on the dressing room has not gone unnoticed by his new boss, Sean Dyche.
The English coach said: “I’ve seen how he’s been in training and what he has offered us already, his work ethic, he is constantly a threat and his willingness to work for the team.
“He is a breath of fresh air, he’s a top pro without a shadow of a doubt. He is adapting to the challenge of being a Burnley player and he is a credit to himself so far, with his mentality.
“Wout’s come in super open-minded, rubbing off on people with who he is and how he is, the way he goes about it.
“He’s willing to work, willing to fight, but he’s willing to play and is a very good footballer.”
Big future
Having taken a slight knock in the Brighton win, Dyche still expects Weghorst to be available from the start against Tottenham this evening.
The weekend win — only Burnley’s second of the season, remarkably — lifted them off the bottom and has put them within striking distance of safety.
Those searching for further positives could point to the Clarets’ 11 draws from their opening 22 Premier League games this term, suggesting most of their games hinge on fine margins.
Prior to Weghorst’s arrival, Dyche’s men were constantly coming up short in those key moments. Now, they appear to have a difference-maker in their ranks.
Many of the Premier League’s middling sides may be wondering how they managed to miss him — not that Burnley will care one bit.
