Vokes proud of historic Clarets goal

Vokes smashed in a late equaliser against Aberdeen, to become Burnley’s first European goalscorer since the legendary Brian Miller against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1967.

A crucial away goal gives the Clarets the advantage going into Thursday’s second leg at Turf Moor, and Vokes - twice a promotion will nner with Burnley - said: It’s great to be part of history and part of a squad that is doing something special.

“Obviously we’ve been breaking records for a few years.

“It’s nice for myself, but important for the team.

“I was buzzing, you want to make an impact, and it was important.

“It was a good feeling, a great atmosphere and good we got something out of the game and repaid the fans.

“Since the day we qualified there’s been a buzz around town, and the lads obviously wanted to be part of the journey, so this is the first night of a run hopefully.

“It’s huge for the club, and this is the next step of the journey.”

But he is taking nothing for granted ahead of the second leg: “It will be another tough night, they’ll have hope coming down, but we’re looking forward to it.

“It felt like a proper cup tie, and it should be similar next week. Turf Moor is rocking for the night games anyway.”

Vokes has to come off the bench to impact a game crying out for his aerial prowess, and the modest Wales international admitted his quite superb goal was a bit of a blur: “As a striker you want to come on and affect things, especially after gong one down, it’s a chance to put your stamp on the game, and it was nice to get the goal and help us take an away goal back to Turf Moor.

“You’re looking at it from the bench and we got into some great positions and put some good balls in the box, and it was against a tough team to break down, they sat back and defended well.

“But we broke them down in the end.

“I can’t remember much about it, it all happened so quickly, a snap shot and it was great to hit the back of the net and get the goal to take back, with everything still to play for still.

“It could be crucial, it was important for us to score and keep the game alive.”

And a first taste of European club football - for a man with a Euro 2016 quarter-final goal to his name - whetted the appetite for more: “We’re still early in pre-season so we’re playing games and not having big crowds, and you come here with the atmosphere, and these are the occasions you want to be involved in.

“Most of us haven’t played European club football so it’s a competition we want to stay in and do well in.”