Out-of-contract Burnley striker Ashley Barnes addresses his Turf Moor future

The 33-year-old, who celebrated his nine-year anniversary at Turf Moor at the start of the year, is out of contract at the end of the season.

The ex-Brighton and Hove Albion goal-scorer has made 280 appearances for the Clarets in all competitions, scoring 52 times.

Barnes appeared 200 times in the Premier League, becoming the club's second highest scorer in the top flight, behind Chris Wood, when finding the net on 42 occasions.

“I want to stay for as long as possible, I literally love it here," he said. "I love working with the gaffer and everything.

“But it’s just one of them things that we’ve not really spoke about at the moment. I think let’s keep it one game at a time, as we say, and worry about us.

“When that happens at the right time, there might be a chance to sit down hopefully.”

Barnes has reinvented himself since Vincent Kompany took over the reins in the summer, remodelling himself as a 'false nine'.

He's scored twice in his last three outings — with the opener against Huddersfield Town now credited to Anass Zaroury — adding to the two he bagged in the East Lancashire derby at home to Blackburn Rovers in November.

“I’ve literally loved every minute," Barnes said. "He’s taught me so many new things with playing and being a leader. He’s been massive on all of us older ones in the changing room, so he’s given us a lot of experience and things to take on board.

"But just the way of how he plays, it’s teaching us something new and new ways of how he wants us to all play, his detail is second to none.

“But not just the gaffer you’ve got Bellers, Jacko and all of his staff. You’ve got everyone in that staff who is chipping in with their own hard work and it’s been amazing.”

The former Plymouth Argyle man had his fair share of doubters at the beginning of the campaign when failing to get on the scoresheet in 13 outings in the second tier.

He's just thankful that he's had the opportunity to silence his critics. He said: “You can say so, but I think I’m my own worst critic at the end of the day. I hold myself at high standards, if I’m not getting there then I’m very frustrated with myself first and foremost.

“My family would be the first ones and my wife [to say], my kids would definitely tell you the truth, so I get that stick at home. But all I want to do is prove people wrong in my whole life. I want to prove how good I can be.”