Burnley striker Ashley Barnes hasn't given up on England dream

Ashley Barnes hasn't given up on his England dream.
Ashley BarnesAshley Barnes
Ashley Barnes

After netting 13 goals for Burnley last season, Barnes scored four in the first three Premier League games this term, leading to speculation he was in the running for a place in Gareth Southgate's squad.

Southgate overlooked him on that occasion, but did comment on the form of the bustling frontman: "We can't ignore the numbers that he's got.

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"For us, the way they play at Burnley, he's more of a second striker.

"We don't really play that way so he feeds off (Chris) Wood a lot.

"The type of service he gets is a bit different.

"So you've got to admire the quality of his finishing and the goalscoring record over a period of time.

"But also, he's 29, and we are going to struggle to hold Sancho back a lot longer, that's with Rashford and Sterling and Kane.

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"So we've just got really good competition in every area of the pitch."

Barnes has been out since January after a hernia operation, which will also keep him out as the Premier League resumes.

But the former Brighton man believes he can continue to score goals at Premier League level and hopefully force his way into the national reckoning.

He was a wanted man by Austria, for whom he played once at Under 20 level in 2008 after being spotted while on pre-season tour with Plymouth - with his paternal grandmother hailing from Klagenfurt.

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And Austria boss Franco Foda wanted him for the senior side, but Barnes explained, speaking to the Football, Albion and Me podcast https://anchor.fm/footballthealbionandme said: "Yes, (Austria is done). I met the manager, he really wanted me to play for them, he tried to convince me, and I was all up for it, and unfortunately the ministers and everything when I was doing my passport, wouldn't allow it at the time.

"But I still have hope of England, that's a massive part of the game, can you go on and possibly play for England?

"Yeah, I believe it myself I could do it, so why not have the chance, keep working hard and you never know what's around the corner.

"I think just the performances, it said it for me. But you might get a chance through someone being injured, which isn't nice, but you've got to take that opportunity and grasp it, and if that ever came around I would 100% jump at the chance, I would love to play for my country.

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"But great names have come back from injury and there's some good young English talent coming through as well.

"But you can never give up, if I keep doing the right things, who knows what's around the corner."

Barnes has created a reputation as a player opposing fans love to hate, a pantomine villain of sorts, and he laughed: "Everyone has their own opinion, I might not be everyone's cup of tea, maybe I'm a bit like Marmite, you either love me or you hate me, but that's something I've always had to live with. if someone doesn't like you, so what? You just get on with it.

"Nothing is going to change in my head, I'm quite strong in that sense, nothing will affect me, I'm very strong-minded with a strong family behind me.

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"That's it, you just get through things yourself, you just cope."

But he admits joining Burnley in January 2014 has helped bring the best out of him, under Sean Dyche: "He's been amazing for me, we can have a laugh in training, but it's serious and serious when you're playing.

"It's black and white, what we're heading towards is laid out and everyone gets on with the job.

"That's what everyone wants, to work hard, give everything. You might have a bad game but it doesn't matter, there's another round the corner and you keep going.

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"The lads are exceptional, the bunch we have is so good. We do so much together.

"Everyone gets on. Maybe you have a couple of little groups, but not here, everyone is on board heading in the right direction, and we all want to try and get back into Europa football."

Barnes also dismissed notions than Burnley are just a long ball side, especially with him in the side: "You could say that (the team plays to my strengths), and people might say Burnley are a long ball team, but not really, it's just perceived a bit different, there's 100 different ways to look at it.

"Liverpool have fantastic players and the way they play is incredible, Brighton play unbelievable as well, but you still go from back to front quicker.

"I think we've got that mixed bag, we're not just a long ball team, you have to find different ways to win."