Lyle Foster will have a decision to make should he not be assured of regular game time at Burnley next season. Lyle Foster will have a decision to make should he not be assured of regular game time at Burnley next season. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu BackpagePix
Cape Town - After winning the Championship with Burnley last season, Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster is set to be a Premier League player next season. This will no doubt be music to the ears of most South African football fans.
SA has lacked players in the Premier League since Steven Pienaar retired. There are some players from South Africa who have the qualities required to play in England’s top flight, but Bafana’s low Fifa ranking has not helped their cause as it makes the granting of a work permit difficult for English clubs in order to sign SA players.
While Vincent Kompany’s team dominated their way to winning the English second tier last season, the Manchester City legend will be aware that the Premier League is a totally different ball-game compared to the Championship. His aim for last season may have been to win the league his team found themselves in, but his aim for next season will be to build a competitive side which is worthy of avoiding relegation.
Compared to the mega-rich counterparts that Burnley will find themselves among next season, they will also have to work with limited resources. There is no doubt that one of Kompany’s top aims during the close season will be to bring in players who are established in the Premier League or at least in one of Europe’s top-five leagues.
In the worst case scenario, this could lead to Foster dropping down the pecking order at Turf Moor even though he will be a Premier League player.
It would be better for Foster to go on loan if he is not given assurances over first-team football rather than warm the bench at Burnley. Foster joined Burnley in January and made 11 league appearances last season, scoring just one goal. Furthermore, just four of his appearances were starts. It’s safe to say that while Foster did show that he is capable of scoring goals in England’s second-tier ,which is a very competitive league and probably one of the top 20 best leagues in world football, he was not exactly an influential figure in their promotion-winning campaign.
At 22-years-old, Foster is still a young in football terms but not exactly a rookie. Next season will be vital for his development and he should be playing regularly.
Should he not be assured of first-team minutes by Burnley next season, going out on loan, perhaps to another Championship team could present Foster with a good chance to show his worth and maintain form and confidence.
@EshlinV
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