Brentford loan ace Halil Dervisoglu has 'planted his flag' after historic first goal for Burnley — claims boss Vincent Kompany
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The 22-year-old Turkish international couldn't have picked a better moment to open his account for the Clarets in the Championship.
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Hide AdThe league leaders had seemed destined for a point against Rotherham United at Wednesday night until the home side's "super sub" had the final say.
Ten minutes worth of time added on were almost up when Viktor Johansson denied Josh Brownhill's effort after the midfielder was teed up by Manuel Benson.
But Dervisoglu, a former Galatasary loanee who had replaced Nathan Tella with 20 minutes remaining, was on hand to turn the rebound home and make it 3-2.
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Hide AdIt was the first time in Burnley's history that they'd trailed after 90 minutes and gone on to win a game. Speaking about the finish that sank the Millers, who had twice led, Kompany said: "It's good, but it's not just for him, it's also for his team-mates, for people at the club.
"Once you do something like that in a moment so important everybody around you trusts you to do it again. The confidence then increases and that's a point that every player always goes through. He's planted his flag and he can build from there."
Ex-Anderlecht manager Kompany feels his summer acquisition, the last one through the door, will benefit from being in an environment with experienced pros such as Jay Rodriguez and Ashley Barnes.
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Hide AdThe seasoned pair, alongside Kompany's second in command Craig Bellamy, are in a mould of their own, and the Manchester City legend feels that will only aid Dervisoglu's development in the game.
Kompany continued: "It's true, he's still a young player, he still falls into the category of player who has a lot to work on and improve. I think in general our team has been well-balanced in terms of the senior pros with the right type of attitude and experience and a blend of younger players who are willing to learn.
"I'd like to think that you learn from your team-mates, that's what I was like during my career. Everybody has got something special here, whether it's their hold-up play, their finishing in the box, their positioning, and you take bits from every player you like and you try to see if you can do better and improve."
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Hide AdThe Rotterdam-born forward, who had a prolific profile in the city at the start of his career, has played four times for Burnley this term, with each appearance coming from the bench.
That could all change this afternoon when the Clarets take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, depending on the availability of leading scorer Rodriguez, who had treatment on a knock sustained in midweek.
"Let's not forget that Halil is a player of his own as well, he has his own special skills, so everybody feeds off each other," Kompany concluded. "That's why it is important to have that mix of senior pros and young players in the group."