Wales defender Connor Roberts closing in on the season of a lifetime as Burnley look to bounce back to the Premier League

The in-form defender, who made the switch from Swansea City in the summer of 2021, has started every game since the league's resumption last month following the international break and scored in the 3-0 win at home to Birmingham City.

However, despite being a certified starter for Vincent Kompany's newly transformed Burnley team, Roberts hasn't always shared the belief his manager has in him.

The Clarets' right back reflected on his time at Yeovil Town in the 2015-16 season, at a time when he was plying his trade in League Two, when he made the startling admission, "I always thought that was my level.”

"I thought I'd just stay there and earn a few quid," he continued. "But luckily I've managed to do a bit better."

He can say that again! Fast forward eight years and the Welshman has the opportunity to complete the season of a lifetime, with promotion back to the Premier League on the cards following his historic trip to Qatar with his national team.

The 27-year-old, who featured in all three group games as the Dragons qualified for the major tournament for the first time in 64 years, said: "Winning promotion is the main aim for anyone at this club.

"It will be incredible, so we're just trying to do better each time. It's all about trying to reach new highs in your career; the World Cup was one high and getting promoted would be another one.

"Playing at a World Cup is something that only a small percentage of people do. [And for Burnley] It would be massive to get back up there [to the Premier League] and do better than we did last season.

"If we do get promoted at the end of this season I can look back and say that I got promoted [to the Premier League] and I played at a World Cup. That's not a bad season for anyone so that's the aim.

"Now we're sitting here, it might become a reality."

Should Burnley continue their fantastic form — having pocketed 56 points from 26 matches, netting an average of two goals per-game in the process — and end the season by winning the title, Roberts would follow in the footsteps of his manager.

Kompany represented his country at the 2018 World Cup, helping Belgium to a third-place finish in Russia, whilst winning the league title for his club that year.

City were, in fact, crowned champions of England either side of their skipper's involvement at the World Cup, beating rivals Manchester United and Liverpool into top spot respectively.

Burnley fans will live in hope that Roberts can recreate that achievement and make Kompany's first season in charge at Turf Moor a remarkable success.

He said: "I've been lucky enough to work under some top managers in my short career and he's achieved so much. He's addicted to football and he's addicted to success. All the meetings and the details that he gives to us are examples of that.

"Driving a team on to hopefully get promotion would be a feather in his cap. Learning off him as a defender, you've got to respect him for what he's done. It's brilliant to have him as a manager and it's obviously going way better than anybody could have imagined."