Clarets captain Heaton completes Aston Villa switch
Burnley captain Tom Heaton has completed his move to Premier League rivals Aston Villa, for a fee believed to be £8m with £500,000 in add ons.
Heaton, 33, made 200 appearances for the club, twice earning promotion to the Premier League, while winning three England caps as a regular member of the Three Lions squad for four years.
Sean Dyche's first permanent signing back in 2013, the manager hailed the former Manchester United youngster's contribution: “Tom has been a terrific servant to the club, as an individual, for the team and for the fans.
“He was a real ambassador around the place.
“Quite simply a situation arose this summer, where he is in the final year of his contract, there was contact from Aston Villa and I believe he has been offered a very good contract for him and his family.
“And there is a business model at Burnley Football Club, which everyone has come to understand.
“It’s a very good fee for a very good player, but who is 33 with 10 months left on a contract, which has to be balanced up.
“For me, more on the personal side, Tom is a fantastic bloke, a fantastic player and my first ever signing at Burnley Football Club.
“Without a shadow of doubt, for many, many years to come, I’m sure he’ll be remembered very fondly, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well as a top professional and a top person.”