Burnley's Josh Brownhill is looking forward to being reacquainted with his former Turf Moor team-mates in the Premier League

Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill is looking forward to seeing some familiar faces in the Premier League next season.
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A handful of players who once fought for the same cause in the top flight will all of a sudden form part of the opposition.

Nick Pope could have Champions League football on his CV with Newcastle United, former skipper Ben Mee is on course for a top 10 finish with Brentford while victory over Chelsea allowed Nathan Collins and Wolves to tip-toe away from the trap door.

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Others are still at risk of passing the Clarets on the way out; West Ham United gave themselves a lifeline with victory over Fulham, with Maxwel Cornet appearing as a late substitute, Sean Dyche's impact at Goodison Park has given Everton hope, as both James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil continue to battle for survival, though striker Chris Wood can only watch from the sidelines in Nottingham Forest's bid to beat the drop.

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Josh Brownhill and Josh Cullen of Burnley interact during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Burnley at Bet365 Stadium on December 30, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Josh Brownhill and Josh Cullen of Burnley interact during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Burnley at Bet365 Stadium on December 30, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Josh Brownhill and Josh Cullen of Burnley interact during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Burnley at Bet365 Stadium on December 30, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)

"I've spoken to a few of them," said the 27-year-old. "I went to the Newcastle game against [Manchester] United to see Popey play, I still keep in touch with a few of them here and there, but it's where you want to be.

"It's the best league in the world and to see them flying and doing well - Nick is doing very well with Newcastle and pushing for those Champions League spots - I'm really happy for them.

"There's quite a few of them there. You've got Nathan [Collins] at Wolves, [Ben] Mee at Brentford, Tarky and Dwight with the old manager [Sean Dyche] at Everton, so it's going to be weird playing against them next season. I've been really happy with the way they've been playing in the Premier League, they've done really well this year."

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The ex-Manchester United schoolboy survived two-and-a-half seasons in the PL before the Clarets were dumped out of the division on the final day of the 2021-22 campaign.

Brownhill made 78 appearances at the highest level having switched to Turf Moor from Bristol City, scoring twice and adding four assists for the club.

One season away from the top tier has been one too many for the EFL Player of the Season nominee and that's why Burnley's vice-captain will cherish his time there even more this time around.

He said: "It's crazy to think how fast my time went in the Premier League. It was there and then, blink, it was gone and I was back in the Championship.

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"That's just life, I guess, with how fast it goes, but this time, with the experience that I've had in the Premier League, then coming back down here and getting promoted, I will hopefully stay there for the rest of my career.

"I will cherish it even more than I did the first time around, because it was all new to me the first time and I was just happy to be playing in the Premier League. I've done it, come back down, appreciated what it is, so hopefully I can go back there and stay."