A successful 2008-09 campaign, featuring cup wins over English soccer titans Arsenal and Chelsea, capped by a promotional playoff win at Wembley paved the way for Burnley into the English Premier League this season where they will face some of the top clubs in the world.
Led by third-year manager Owen Coyle, Burnley prepares for its return to the top flight of English soccer with a preseason tour to the United States, where it will visit Portland, Ore., to face the Portland Timbers on Saturday at PGE Park at 7 p.m. in an international exhibition, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino.
To compete against clubs the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal during the upcoming English Premier League season, Burnley has assembled a squad filled with national team players from around world, accomplished veterans and a crop of rising standouts.
Burnley returns several key pieces from their successful 2008-09 League Championship season, starting with forward Martin Paterson, who led the team in scoring with 13 goals, midfielder/defender Graham Alexander, who started 49 league games last season, forward Robbie Blake, who paced the team with12 assists, former Manchester United midfielder Chris Eagle and team captain Steven Caldwell.
Since earning promotion into the English Premier League, Burnley has added four players with experience at some of the highest levels in Europe. The first player signed by Burnley after its promotion was Jamaican defender Tyrone Mears, who played previously for English clubs Derby County and West Ham United. The team’s biggest addition is Scotland National Team striker Steven Fletcher, who arrives at Burnley from Scottish Premier League club Hibernian on a 3,000,000-pound transfer fee. Other additions include defenders David Edgar from Newcastle United and Richard Eckersley from Manchester United and Brian Easton from Hamilton Academical.
Competing at one of the highest levels in the world requires some of the world’s top talent, and Burnley features a dozen players who have recently competed on the world stage for their respective countries. Caldwell and Alexander are two of six Burnley players on Scotland National Teams, Kevin McDonald is a member of the Northern Ireland National Team, goalkeeper Diego Penny is on the Peru National Team, while midfielder Joey Gudjonsson is a part of the Iceland National Team. In total, seven different countries are represented on Burnley’s roster.
A group of players and coaches poised to take on the some of the world’s best make their final preparations for their upcoming season in the English Premier League with a visit to the Rose City to take on the Timbers. While still in its preseason, Burnley looks to continue its recent string of successes, highlighted by midfielder Wade Elliot’s “60-million-pound goal” at Wembley, into its season and beyond.
