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Nicky Hayen discusses Josh Laurent’s advanced midfield role

Nicky Hayen is pleased with the impact Josh Laurent is having in his more advanced midfield role for Burnley.

Some Clarets fans have questioned why Laurent, usually a deeper or box-to-box midfielder, is now playing further forward than the likes of Reo Hatate.

At times, Laurent has even pushed forward into a front two alongside the striker, often leading the press and charging down to good effect.

But while Burnley fans recognise what the 31-year-old brings to the team in terms of his endeavour and hard work, many have queried if he’s the right man for a role that usually requires an ability to thread a cute final pass or execute a pinpoint cross.

But Hayen insists Laurent is carrying out the role well, explaining: “I think Josh does it quite well because he has a lot of pace, can cover a lot of distance in an offensive and defensive way.

“He's a really good link between the midfield and the offensive players, so he does actually quite well, gives the team a lot of energy and is something who can make double runs and do the hard yard for someone else, so he's really important at the moment.”

When Hayen was specifically asked if Laurent was the right man for the number 10 role, the Clarets boss added: “That would be okay. If everyone was perfect, they didn't play here.

“So Josh plays on his qualities and we try to put him in the position where he suits and performs the best. At this moment, he's important for us.”

It will be interesting to see if Laurent continues in that role against Lincoln City today, given Hayen’s comments about a potential “structure” change in the wake of injuries to Jacob Bruun Larsen and Jamie Vardy.