Josh Cullen shares positive update after making his return from injury

Josh Cullen has shared a positive verdict on his long-awaited return to action for Burnley after a gruelling 300-day absence.

The club captain played the first 45 minutes for Burnley’s Under-21s last night as they took on his former side West Ham.

It was the 30-year-old’s first action in 10 months, having been sidelined with an ACL injury he suffered in the goalless draw against Everton in December 2025.

“I feel really pleased and happy to be back out there,” he told the club’s official website.

“Three hundred days is a long time and I’ve been thinking about that moment for a long time now.

“After coming off with a serious injury and a long time out, you have those little doubts in the back of your mind about how you’ll feel and how you’ll hold up. But I felt really good to be honest.

“I was really pleased with how my first 45 minutes went after a week to 10 days of building up to this in training.”

Speaking on Thursday, Clarets boss Nicky Hayen suggested Cullen could even be involved for the first-team at Lincoln City this afternoon.

But that seems unlikely given the length of time the midfielder has been out for and the seriousness of his injury.

“It’s a case of training hard,” Cullen said, when asked about the next steps.

“I’ve obviously come a long way and it’s good to be back out there and playing, but there’s still work to be done at these late stages.

“That will continue, I’d imagine, probably for the rest of my career, staying on top of things and making sure, first and foremost, my knee is in the best position possible to help play and perform at a good level, as well as the rest of my body.

“I’m looking forward to getting back training again and keep pushing the level and keep pushing my fitness and sharpness.

“Hopefully I’m not too far away and I’m looking forward to that moment I do get back in the first-team squad, see the fans again and feel that buzz of being back in the first-team environment.”