Ex-Manchester United youth Hannibal Mejbri sets Burnley goal target amid promotion battle

Hannibal Mejbri has set his sights on scoring more goals after opening up his Burnley account with the first goal in Friday night’s 2-1 home win against Championship rivals Norwich City.

After going close on a number of occasions during his first six months with the Clarets, the former Manchester United midfielder finally broke his duck with a neat touch and finish after he was found by a fine pass from Josh Cullen. The win took Scott Parker’s side to the top of the Championship table before they slipped back into second place after Leeds United claimed a win against Preston North End on Saturday afternoon.

However, with the final run-in now in full swing, Hannibal is keen to add to his first goal for the club as the Clarets look to seal an immediate return to the Premier League.

He said: “I’m very happy. What a goal, what a touch and what a pass from Josh [Cullen], so I’m very happy. It’s been a long time now but hopefully I can score a few more between now and the end of the season. I could have had more [goals] this game as well, but I’m very happy. Now we just need to be focused and find a way to keep going to stay on top.”

The foundations for Friday night’s win were laid during a dominant first-half display from Parker’s side as they raced into a two-goal lead by the half-hour mark. Hannibal’s maiden strike opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark before Jaidon Anthony doubled their lead just after the midway point of the first-half. Jack Stacey’s second-half strike may well have set nerves on edge for the vast majority of the 19,030 in attendance at Turf Moor - but Hannibal was keen to focus on the overwhelmingly positive performance during the opening 45 minutes.

“We worked very well with the coaches. We didn’t have too much time to prepare for the game but we did really good,” explained the former Manchester United midfielder to Clarets+. “The first-half was really good. All the boys were on fire with their pressing and with the opportunities we had on the ball, everything was sharp. When the first-half is that high in intensity, sometimes it can be a bit hard to keep it like this for the second-half but we managed it well to keep the win.”

What did Hannibal say about Burnley supporters?

The 32-times capped Tunisia international revealed his disappointment over his side conceding a rare goal on home soil - but stressed that should not take anything away from what was a positive night as he delivered a heartfelt message to Clarets supporters.

He said: “Of course it was disappointing to concede, but it’s okay, we won. We go home happy tonight, enjoy the weekend, we hope the fans go home happy as well. I hope they enjoy the weather, because at the moment it’s very hot, it’s very sunny. Put some sun cream on and enjoy your weekend.”

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