Burnley defender Michael Keane should snub big-boys Chelsea and Leicester, says Clarets team-mate Tom Heaton
England stopper reckons £30million-rated centre-back should stay at Turf Moor for his own good as well as the team's
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MICHAEL KEANE has been urged to snub the Premier League big boys by Burnley team-mate Tom Heaton.
Champions Leicester and Chelsea are keen on the £30million-valued centre-back, who has impressed with a series of top-notch displays this season.
That rich form earned Keane a shock England call-up for the World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia last month.
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But Heaton is sure everyone in Sean Dyche's dressing room wants the highly-rated defender, 23, to reject the advances of the elite clubs and stay at Turf Moor beyond January to aid the Clarets survival chances.
Burnley captain Heaton said: "Keano has been superb and it was no surprise to me when he was linked with some of the top teams.
"He's done very well. He's big, strong, quick, good in the air and decent on the ball. There's not many defenders with those qualities at his age in the Premier League.
"He's getting great experience but hopefully he's at Burnley for a long time to come.
"He's a massive asset to the football club and he's going from strength to strength.
"When you are playing well there is always speculation - it's part of football. But we all want him to stay at Burnley."
Both Heaton and Keane came through the Manchester United ranks and return to Old Trafford for the second time, the first being a 3-1 defeat in February 2015, with Burnley in the Premier League this afternoon.
And, with Red Devils centre-back Eric Bailly out for two months with a knee injury and Chris Smalling and Phil Jones also suffering injuries, Keane, who joined Burnley in January 2014, could well have added to his five United first-team outings by now instead of making his 79th appearance for Dyche's promoted outfit.
But England keeper Heaton, who left the Theatre of Dreams six summers ago, insists his team-mate won't have any regrets over leaving under ex-United boss Louis van Gaal.
The 30-year-old added: "Keano was at that point in his career where he was desperate to play games.
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"I was the same when I left United and it wasn't a difficult decision in the end. As a player you just want to play.
"It's easy to look back but Burnley was a good option for him to play week in, week out. He's got better and better because of the experience of playing regular football and he's in a fantastic vein of form. But there's more to come from him."
Heaton was joined by Keane in Gareth Southgate's first Three Lions squad when Glen Johnson pulled out through injury. Yet the once-capped stopper revealed Keane impressed his peers in quick-fire time.
He said: "It was great that Keano got international recognition and it was fantastic to have two Burnley players in the England squad.
"I was really pleased. I spoke to him just after he'd got the call from Gareth Southgate. He did well during the week and that smile never left him.
"It can be daunting going into any new team. It's a challenge for any player.
"But it only took him five minutes in training to show what he was about and he looked comfortable in the environment.
"I'm sure it helped seeing a familiar face but he knew a lot of the lads from his days at United plus you do know most of the players having played in the Premier League so he was fine.
"Only time will tell if he becomes a mainstay for England, but he's got all the attributes and ticks most of the boxes.
"I don't see why Michael can't become a England regular in the next five to ten years. He has the quality."
In the short-term and the next 90 minutes, Keane will have to produce a top performance against United's strike force of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba as Burnley aim to claim their first away Premier League point of the season.
Heaton, who has made the most saves of any Prem keeper this term, added: "It's been a good start. We've already got three wins on the board and that's decent.
"We missed out by three points when we were relegated last time in the Premier League but back then it took us 11 games to get our first win. We've started much better than that.
"All our points so far have come at home. Now we just need to make sure we get the balance right away from home."