Burnley's Republic of Ireland ace Josh Cullen is backing boss Vincent Kompany to go all the way to the top

The 26-year-old had a couple of seasons in the Belgian A League at Anderlecht with the Manchester City legend prior to his arrival at Turf Moor in the summer.

He made 71 appearances for the club in total — following a £900,000 move from West Ham United — and developed a real appreciation of Kompany's managerial credentials.

"Yes, I probably did," responded Cullen, when asked if he believed the four-time Premier League winner could make an instant impression in England.

"Knowing the type of manager he is, the type of person he is, the standards he sets and how detailed and in-depth he is in his approach with us as players, I felt that he'd have that ability to stamp his authority on the club quite quickly.

"Whether I knew we'd do as well as we have done up to now, nobody knew that at the time, but when I saw that Burnley had appointed the manager I knew it was a great appointment. It was one that I felt would be a very good one from the beginning.

"I think he can go right to the top. His willingness to work and the amount of detail he goes into is second-to-none, certainly from what I've seen. His attitude towards the game and his knowledge of it will see him go as far as he wants to."

Cullen, who was recently the recipient of the Republic of Ireland's Player of the Year award, didn't have to think twice when news of the Clarets' interest was confirmed in light of Kompany's appointment.

The ex-Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic loan star, who has played 20 times in the Championship this term, tasting defeat on just two occasions, feels his past with the former Belgium international made it much easier for him to slot in.

He said: "I know how the manager works, I know the style he wants to play, and I feel like I suit that quite well.

"Coming to a club like Burnley, with the support it has — I think we've all been able to see that this season — and the ambition to get back to the Premier League, I felt it was something I wanted to be a part of.

"As soon as I heard about the deal being a possibility I was happy to get it over the line.

"I've known him [Vincent Kompany] and the backroom staff for a few years now, so I know what they expect and how they want the team to play, so in that sense it was a little bit easier."

Burnley could well enter the New Year at the top of the pile, while their odds to gain promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt have shortened significantly after opening up a healthy gap to third.

Cullen featured three times in the top flight for the Hammers at the start of his career, coming off the bench in victories over Liverpool and Southampton as well as a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

Five years will have passed since that stalemate at Stamford Bridge when the 2022/23 campaign comes to a close, so he can't wait to do it all again with Burnley.

"The aim was for the club to get back to the Premier League as soon as possible and we've got the chance to do that," he said. "We're by no means getting carried away, there's still a long way to go, so we'll see where it takes us.

"It would be unbelievable [to get to the Premier League], it's what you set out to do as a youngster. When you're going through the academy the ambition is to play at the top of the game and the Premier League is the best league in the world. To get promotion and play in the Premier League would be amazing."