Connor Roberts stresses the need to recruit players who want to wear the Burnley shirt

Connor Roberts has stressed the need for Burnley to put together a squad of players that truly wish to play for the shirt.

It comes as the Clarets find themselves back in the Championship for the third time in five years following another disappointing Premier League relegation last time out.

Roberts played no part of that, having endured an injury-plagued campaign, but is now back fit on the eve of the upcoming 2026/27 season.

Another big churn of players is well underway this summer, with more ins and outs anticipated.

Whatever transpires, Roberts just hopes the Clarets have the right characters in the building to challenge for another promotion from the second tier.

“The last time I wore the Burnley shirt, we had just been promoted back to the Premier League,” the 30-year-old explained. “We had a group of lads who played for the shirt, who really wanted to be here and we were excited for the future.

“Then last year, obviously not playing and obviously failing in what we would love to have done, it's not been great, but we've been here before.

“I've been here twice already since coming to Burnley. The club have been here before and we just have to take almost a bit of confidence in that, that the people who have got the power know what they're doing.

“When this season gets underway and gets down to proper business, we’ve just got to hope we've got a squad of people that really want to be here again and want to compete and hopefully be successful like we have done every time in the Championship for the last however many years Burnley have been in it.”

Having been at Burnley since 2021, Roberts has had to get used to seeing a constant turnover of players virtually every summer.

“I wouldn't say it's difficult,” he said. “It's slightly off-putting perhaps, because it's a lot of transition.

“There's not been a real stability here and that is obviously due to the fact that we've had, since I've been here, four managers, four permanent managers, players, probably well over 150 nearly that have been and gone.

“It is a bit of change and a lot of change is not good all the time, but it's not to say that change can't bring success because we've been in this position twice before, we've changed things, the manager, lots of players and we were successful, so touch wood, we can have another season just like them.”

To compound Burnley’s frustrations, supporters - and by extension, the players too - had to wait 71 days for the appointment of a new manager earlier this summer.

When asked if he felt any uncertainty while the managerial search dragged on, Roberts replied: “Not really. Maybe the first week being back in pre-season it was a bit like: ‘any chance?’.

“But with the break we had, everyone was busy doing their own things, letting their hair down kind of thing, some were at the World Cup doing bits and bobs and, yeah, we are here now.

“We have got a manager and we have to play for him and we have to play for the club that signed us or that we're at.”

At one point, it looked as though Roberts’ international boss Craig Bellamy was about to get the gig, having all-but agreed to take over - only for the Wales chief to back out at the 11th hour.

With one foot in either camp, Roberts could have been forgiven for feeling slightly awkward as the situation progressed, but the right-back insists that was never the case.

“I wouldn't say it was awkward at all, to be honest,” he added.

“Obviously a lot of people were asking me: ‘is it going to be Craig Bellamy?’ and what not, but I sit here now and he's still my manager for Wales.

“I would have been happy if he came or I'm still happy that he didn't come, to be honest, because he's a wonderful manager, a wonderful person and he will continue to do absolutely everything he can for Wales to try and be successful.

“If he had come here he would have done exactly the same as well, so I will play for whoever is in charge and I will do my best for them and for myself and if that was Craig, then I would have done that. But it's not, so I'm going to do exactly the same for Nicky Hayen.”

Bellamy’s snub was good news for Hayen, who made the move from Belgian side KRC Genk to become Burnley’s new head coach.

While he’s only been in situ for two weeks, the 45-year-old is already starting to leave his stamp.

“He’s stern, he knows what he wants, not afraid to put his foot down and tell players what they should be doing and what they shouldn't be doing,” Roberts said.

“But it is early doors and at the moment we're still in a little bit of a, let’s call it a transfer window transition. Players will still go, players will come in, so he's obviously got a big job in his hands.

“But every manager who's come in here at the start of a Championship season after just being relegated knows that they've got a job on their hands. Lucky for us the last two have gone really well, so hopefully it’s third time lucky.

“I’m excited to get playing for Nicky and hopefully being successful.”