Run of starts will do young Burnley talent Dwight McNeil no harm - boss Sean Dyche

But the Clarets boss believes McNeil will only benefit from his current run of starts, if he, as Dyche expects, goes on "forge his way to times bigger than us.”

Should McNeil, 20, ultimately advance to an elite club, involved deep into European competition, and be involved regularly with his country, the number of games he could be involved in will rack up considerably.

He has started 51 of Burnley's last 52 Premier League games, and while there were moments at Turf Moor on Sunday when he looked a touch jaded, he is still an influence, and could have won the game for the Clarets.

His free kick led to James Tarkowski's opener, but he squandered a big chance to make it 2-0, pulling the rebound wide after Jay Rodriguez's volley was parried by Dean Henderson.

Dyche said: "He looked a little bit tired - it is the first time I have seen him look a little bit tired but he still finds moments.

"He put a great ball in for the goal. He found a moment when everyone would have thought he would put it away because of the clinical edge that he has got, and he has a left foot that everyone would be pleased with, I certainly would have been.

"It drops for him and he catches it a bit off.

"We ask a lot of Dwight and we continue to do so. He is a young player who is playing week in week out and I think he is doing a good job.

"It is all part of your development. If he goes to where I think he can in the future, then he is going to play a lot of games.

"If he goes to one of the top clubs in the future then he is going to be asked to play a lot of games.

"I think mentally and physically it does him no harm to play in these games when he is trying to work through it, be diligent, do all the basics and try and find a moment for the team

" I don't think that will do him any harm."