Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Defour was hugely popular with Clarets supporters, considered one of the best players to pull on the shirt in themodern era in an albeit injury-hit spell ar the club.

He signed from Anderlecht in the summer of 2016, after Burnley returned to the Premier League as Championship winners, for a then club record £7.5m fee, but made only 58 appearances in three years, before returning home with Royal Antwerp, and then boyhood club Mechelen.

There he hung up his boots in May last year, focusing on the coaching side of the game.

Belgium's national football team players, front row, from left: goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, midfielder Nacer Chadli, midfielder Nicolas Lombaerts, forward Divock Origi, defender Vincent Kompany, defender Jan Vertonghen and second row, from left: defender Toby Alderweireld, forward Radja Nainggolan, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, midfielder Steven Defour, forward Dries Mertens pose on October 10, 2014 before a Euro 2016 qualifying round football match between Belgium and Andorra at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYS. (Photo credit should read JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images)

This January, Defour was back at Gawthorpe as part of his studies for his Continued Professional Development to enhance his coaching, and to see a few old faces.

And the former Belgium international retains a strong bond with the club, sending good luck messages ahead of recent games as they fought against relegation.

Defour’s 11-year international career came at a time when Kompany was a regular in the squad, much of that time as captain, and the Clarets faithful have been hopeful of a reunion when Kompany’s appointment as new Burnley boss is rubberstamped.

However, earlier this month, on the 90 Minutes podcast, he suggesed if he is to leave Mechelen, he will leave the game.

As he recorded the podcast, shortly after KV Mechelen announced that coach Wouter Vrancken was to leave the club for another challenge, a viewer question for Defour asked. “Is Steven going with Wouter Vrancken to Club Brugge.”

The answer was straightforward: “No.”

Defour added: “I will not follow Wouter Vrancken if he goes to another club later. I will stay with KV Mechelen.

"I will also only stay in football for KVM.

"Otherwise I would have been out for a long time. If this story ends, I will also leave the club, football.

“I really like football between the white lines, but I’m tired of everything beyond that. I really like doing things like this podcast – talking about football – but all that other stuff…

“Football is probably the only thing I’m good at. More or less anyway (laughs).

"There is also a good project in Mechelen, so maybe I’ll stay there for another 10 years if everything goes well. So I’m certainly not tired of it .”

Could Steven Defour join Vincent Kompany at Burnley?