Man Utd defender Keane signs permanent deal at Burnley

The England U21 international, who will sign a three-and-a-half deal at Turf Moor, has impressed since joining the Clarets on loan on deadline day.

Since that move, having waited patiently for his chance, the 21-year-old has now made 11 appearances for the Clarets in the Premier League and the FA Cup partnering skipper Jason Shackell.

Keane began his career at Old Trafford before signing professional terms in 2011.

He made his debut for United in the League Cup against Aldershot Town in the same year and, after several more appearances in the competition, finally made his first Premier League appearance for United against Sunderland last year.

The central defender won the Reserve Player of the Year award at the club in 2012 as the reserve side won the Reserve League North.

But with first-team chances limited, Keane went on loan to Leicester City in the 2012/13 season, where he featured 27 times.

He then joined East Midlands neighbours Derby County on loan the following season, and ended the campaign at Blackburn Rovers as he looked to further his development.

On the international scene, Keane has represented England at both U19 and U21 level, travelling with the U19 squad and helping them to the semi-finals of the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

He is now a regular for the latter age group, having clocked up a total of 14 caps for Gareth Southgate’s side, one of which came at Turf Moor in the friendly win over Portugal.

And Clarets boss Sean Dyche is delighted to be adding a quality young player to his squad on a permanent basis.

Dyche said: “Michael is a good young player and we see a lot of development in him as he’s on a good pathway at the moment and we’re delighted that he has decided to join us.”