Keane aiming to kick on at Turf

Michael Keane will return to Burnley full of confidence after a 'dream week'.
England 2-0 Lithuania FIFA World Cup qualifying Round, Wembley Stadium. 26-3-2017.  Picture by FRANK REIDEngland 2-0 Lithuania FIFA World Cup qualifying Round, Wembley Stadium. 26-3-2017.  Picture by FRANK REID
England 2-0 Lithuania FIFA World Cup qualifying Round, Wembley Stadium. 26-3-2017. Picture by FRANK REID

The Clarets centre back picked up his first two senior England caps, first in Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat in Dortmund against Germany, before a Wembley debut in the 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania.

The 24-year-old earned rave reviews for both 90-minute performances from pundits and fans alike, sbhowing his adaptability in a back three against the World champions, before lining up in a more conventional two against Lithuania.

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Keane has put himself firmly in the thoughts of England boss Gareth Southgate, with the World Cup to come in Russia next summer, and he will be looking forward to trying to put one over a number of his international colleagues when Spurs make the trip to Turf Moor on Saturday.

The former Manchester United youngster could come up against the likes of Dele Alli, Kyle Walker and Eric Dier, and he said: “I just want to kick on, going back to Burnley full of confidence, all I can do is keep doing what I’m doing.

“I want to keep learning, keep improving every day.

“I’ll keep working hard and hopefully we’ll do well with Burnley, get some wins pretty soon and hopefully meet up again in the summer and get some game time.”

And he looked back on a memorable week: “I loved it, it’s been a dream of mine again to play at Wembley, I’ve had a few come true this week, so it’s been a brilliant week for me.

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“It’s an unbelievable feeling, to represent your country, words can’t describe it really, I’ve been to Wembley a few times to watch finals, but it’s my first time to play there and for your country, it’s an incredible moment.

“I thought we could have played better as a team, we could have been more fluid, but they made it difficult for us.

“They were hard to break down, and in the end it’s a good result, and a clean sheet.”

Keane stood out with his pace, positioning and range of passing, and he admitted: “I feel like my passing has been good this week.

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“I’ve been trying to play balls between the lines, to get us going, and I made a few switches of play as well.

“That’s what I wanted to do, we looked at how we could affect them and they were some of the ways, so I’m glad I managed to do that.”