Why Burnley need to arrange a new deal for Jeff Hendrick
According to Lancashire Live, Burnley manager Sean Dyche has confirmed that the Clarets are in ongoing contract negotiations with some of their key players and midfielder Jeff Hendrick could be set for an extended stay at Turf Moor.
Burnley have already initiated a contract renewal drive to secure the long-term futures of Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood, while full-back Charlie Taylor has also put pen to paper on fresh terms in recent times.
However, other first-team mainstays like Jeff Hendrick and Ashley Westwood will also be out of contract at the end of the ongoing campaign.
Westwood has the option for a further year on his present contract but no such provision to keep Hendrick at the club has been revealed by the report.
Born in Dublin, the 27-year-old started his footballing education at St. Kevin’s Boys in his homeland before completing a move to Derby County in 2008, where he went on to accumulate 26 goals and 19 assists in 215 appearances for the Rams over the course of six seasons at Pride Park.
That paved the way for a £10.5million switch to the top-flight with Burnley back in the summer of 2016 and Hendrick has been a bonafide witness to the Clarets’ rise under the stewardship of Sean Dyche.
Hendrick has been one of the mainstays of Burnley’s midfield in recent seasons and arguably one of the first names on the manager’s team sheet, with the 50-cap Republic of Ireland enforcer clocking up 123 appearances for the Clarets in all competitions so far.
The Dublin-born star has once again been a key figure for Burnley in the Premier League this term, starting 8 games and featuring as a substitute on a couple of occasions. Hendrick has already scored twice in 10 league outings for the club, including the winner in the 1-0 defeat of Everton back in October.
To put things into perspective, Hendrick has been one of Dyche’s trusted lieutenants in the middle of the park and it should be a no-brainer for the Clarets to arrange fresh terms for him at the earliest.
Verdict
Profiled as a box-to-box midfielder, Hendrick has been a tailor-made fit for Dyche’s long-ball philosophy which primarily revolves around quick transition and winning the second balls in the final third.
Westwood and Jack Cork are, indeed, more than capable of adding steel and stability to the midfield but Hendrick offers a wider range of qualities, given his versatility to play in advanced roles.
Returns of just 9 goals and 5 assists in 123 appearances do not look all that impressive on paper but Hendrick continues to be an invaluable asset to Burnley’s midfield with his excellent all-round game.
With plenty of top-flight experience already under his belt, the stage is certainly set for the 27-year-old to push on for greater heights.
More Burnley News
- Why Charlie Taylor’s new deal with Burnley would be good for the club
- Why Ivan Toney would be a smart long-term investment for Burnley
- Why Burnley should look at better players than Jonny Hayes
All in all, Burnley securing the future of Jeff Hendrick with fresh terms is an absolute no-brainer.