'Badge of honour': Scott Parker discusses Burnley's 'sensational' defensive record after 17th clean sheet

After 26 league games, the Clarets have still only conceded nine goals so far this season – an average of almost one goal every three games.

Parker’s side have also kept an impressive 17 clean sheets, which is the best of any side in the Championship.

Speaking after another shutout during the derby at the weekend, Burnley’s head coach showered his side with deserved praise.

“What this team has done defensively this year has been nothing short of sensational,” he said.

“I get that the defensive side of the game is probably not the most glamorous, but I’ve been around it for a long time and I realise it’s the absolute bedrock and foundation of any team.

“I’ve said it many a time, this team has got traits in it that they really want to defend the goal. It’s a badge of honour for us and we come away from another away game with a clean sheet. That gives us a foundation to win games.

“It was a fine margin game and the thing that got us the win was a clean sheet.”

The Clarets are enjoying a spell of impressive form in recent weeks, now 13 unbeaten following their derby win at Ewood.

Now sitting just a point off top spot, Parker is delighted with his side’s progress - but he pledges there’s still more to come.

“There’s loads more, I must admit,” he said.

“I felt against Blackburn and over the last game as well that we’ve probably looked a little tired, like every team.

“We’ve just come out of an absolute monster of a schedule, we’ve come out the back of some really tough fixtures away from home.

“We end this period in an incredible place and with an incredible tally of points having gone to some really, really difficult places.

“I probably suspected we weren’t going to be looking our sharpest from where we were maybe three weeks ago, but we’ve had to find a way.

“This group of men at this moment in time, they find a way and that’s a brilliant trait to have.”