'I've always felt': Scott Parker makes claim over Zian Flemming's best role for Burnley

The Dutchman arrived at Turf Moor as a number 10 from Millwall, but has rarely, if ever, played in that position for the Clarets.

After scoring 14 goals in his debut season with Burnley, Flemming has since scored seven league goals from just 12 starts in what is his debut season in the Premier League.

Not only that, the forward has added a real nasty streak to his game and is hustling and bustling centre forward the Clarets have perhaps lacked for quite some time.

“I've always felt that he's a striker,” Parker said.

“I know he played as a 10 at Millwall, but I see him as a striker in the box and last season he played that role constantly. He never played as a 10. He’s very rarely played as a 10 for me.

“I think you're seeing real improvements in that. I see him as that guy and he's got some good box habits. He's a good finisher, which we've seen.”

Parker added: “He's done fantastic to score the goals he scored as well.

“Zian's a prime example. He's probably found different challenges this year, found things which have been very difficult. But as someone who owns that a little bit, works it out, ‘okay, watch, I'm not going to do that again. I'm not going to go and press over this distance. I need to cover this area and pick things up. I know where I need to move in certain areas, in and around the box to get my goals’.

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“You've seen a real gradual improvement in Zian and that goes for a lot of them, to be honest with you. But Zian's been brilliant in that.”

Flemming is just one of a number of Burnley players with limited top flight experience, or none at all, that are learning as they go this season.

“I think that would be fair,” Parker added.

“I don't know the exact ins and outs and the numbers in terms of the appearances or players that have been in and around the Premier League for some time. My feeling is it will be pretty low considering what we're up against.

“At times, of course, like anything, the players are learning in different moments, learning space, learning the qualities, learning when to go, when not to go. We're learning a lot of things.

“At times, like I've said, we've fallen a little bit short. But the one thing they've not fallen short on is an honesty about them to own it, to look, to try and improve, to keep getting better at certain things.”

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