Burnley defender signs new deal at Turf Moor

Defender Bobby Thomas has signed a new three-year contract at Turf Moor to continue his Clarets’ career.
Burnley's Bobby ThomasBurnley's Bobby Thomas
Burnley's Bobby Thomas

Thomas has earned an extended stay after progressing through the Academy ranks to become part of the senior squad at Burnley.

And the 20-year-old is delighted to have secured a long-term contract as he looks to continue his upward trajectory with the Clarets.

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“It's something you work towards since you are a young kid. To sign a long-term deal at an established Premier League side is a nice feeling,” said Thomas

Defender Bobby Thomas scored the winner against Blackpool in a pre-season friendly at Bloomfield Road.Defender Bobby Thomas scored the winner against Blackpool in a pre-season friendly at Bloomfield Road.
Defender Bobby Thomas scored the winner against Blackpool in a pre-season friendly at Bloomfield Road.

“It’s an important step, that transition from coming out of the 23s, hopefully into a first-team environment, whenever that may be, which will be a nice reward for working hard and all the sacrifices.”

Thomas – who joined Burnley as a scholar in 2017 and went on to become the club’s young player of the year in 2019 – made his senior Clarets’ debut in a Carabao Cup win at Millwall last September.

The central defender has also made it as far as the bench in the Premier League and as well being a regular at Under-23 level, enjoyed a successful loan spell in League Two last season with Barrow.

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Thomas made 21 appearances for the Bluebirds and played a key role in their survival in the EFL in the club’s first season back in the League for 48 years.

“I really enjoyed my time there and felt like I learned loads,” he added.

“It kind of modelled me into a different player because I didn't really have the experience. I feel like I do now from just one loan.

“Even though it was for just half a season I really feel like I did learn and develop a lot.

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“We just scraped staying up and I wouldn’t change it. We had really good team and it was really enjoyable.”

A further future loan move may be on the agenda for Thomas, although the Chester-born defender will remain with Burnley until at least the January transfer window as he continues to grow with the first-team squad and potentially feature for the U23s in PL2.

“It’s what you want. You are training with the first team near enough every day and you just feel yourself getting a bit sharper every day,” said Thomas, who scored the Clarets' winner in a pre-season friendly at Blackpool in July.

“It’s a nice group to be around to develop yourself on and off the pitch.

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“I’ll be working hard in training and then the plan is first-team football, wherever that may be.

“Wherever I’m needed, wherever they want me to play is where I’ll be playing, whether that’s on loan or here.

“I just want to be playing first-team football at some point with three points on the line.”