Ulvestad rewarded for start to life at Turf

Fredrik Ulvestad was on the bench against Spurs

The Norwegian international, signed last month, has been through a mini pre-season having not played since November, when the league campaign in his home country wound down.

But he had his first taste of life in the Premier League as he was named in the match day 18 for the first time.

Boss Sean Dyche admitted that, with Matt Taylor, Steven Reid and Ross Wallace unavailable, Ulvestad had to be called upon, but added that the 22-year-old deserved his opportunity: “It’s just a case of Matty still has a niggle with his Achilles, Reidy has a minor calf, and Ross had a last-minute sort of thing Friday, but hopefully that will settle down this weekend.

“It is an area we needed bodies - we tried to before the deadline, it’s a long story.

“He’s a player who is fitting in so far, he’s enjoying his training, getting used to the surroundings, and we wanted to give him the next step, which is a feel of how it really is in the Premier League.

“But it’s a big jump from where he’s been, so there is a development curve he’s on, and we’ll see where it takes him.”

With seven games remaining, Dyche refuses to look beyond the next one – Arsenal at home on Saturday: “We’ll look towards the next one, the same as we did last season and have done this season.

“We’re not rich enough with resources or depth of squad or thinking that we can start planning the game beyond the next game and so on, I know some of the big clubs, the super powers can, into the future and how they’re going to change their side, but we’ve certainly not got that way of thinking, we have to make sure we’re right for every game as it comes and get a side out which can win games.”