Burnley visit Huddersfield Town on the opening day of the Championship season on July 29 with six of the players who started the Clarets’ last win over the Terriers still at Turf Moor.
Vincent Kompany has seen a wealth of Burnley’s leading lights leave the club this summer after enduring relegation from the Premier League. Clarets captain Ben Mee is the latest star to join a new side after signing for Brentford as a free agent after his contract had expired.
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Mee followed fellow defensive general James Tarkowski in switching sides without a fee as Everton acquired the Clarets’ former centre-half. Kompany has replaced the pair with £2m Luke McNally from Oxford United, CJ Egan-Riley and a loan deal for Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Kompany will hope his deals in the transfer market allows Burnley to head to Huddersfield and challenge for victory. The Clarets lost the last encounter between the clubs 2-0 back in January after meeting in the FA Cup. Their last win over the Terriers came in January 2019.
Burnley are unbeaten in their last seven league encounters with Huddersfield, dating back to 2014, with four wins and three draws. The first three of those meetings occurred in the Championship and resulted in Clarets wins, while the last was a 2-1 Premier League affair.
It also marks Burnley’s most recent visit to Huddersfield, having won at The John Smith’s Stadium prior to the Terriers’ relegation. So, with that in mind, who started as the Clarets came from behind under Dyche to beat a David Wagner-led Huddersfield line-up in 2019?
Tom Heaton (GK): Starter of last Burnley win vs Huddersfield now at Man Utd
Tom Heaton started in goal the last time Burnley beat Huddersfield but could not record a clean sheet. Steve Mounie broke the deadlock for the Terriers in the 33rd-minute, yet the lead only lasted seven minutes. The Clarets later took all three points in the 74th-minute.
The 2018/19 Premier League campaign would also prove to be Heaton’s last season at Turf Moor following six years. He would join Aston Villa in the summer after 200 games for the club, with 65 clean sheets, and later joined Manchester United in 2021 on a two-year deal.
Phil Bardsley (RB): Starter of last Burnley win vs Huddersfield now a free agent
Phil Bardsley is another of the players who started Burnley’s last win over Huddersfield no longer at Turf Moor. The right-back left the Clarets at the end of his contract this June, but is yet to find a new club following just 71 appearances over the past five years for Burnley.
James Tarkowski (CB): Starter of last Burnley win vs Huddersfield now at Everton
Everton signed Tarkowski on a four-year contract as a free agent after his Burnley contract expired in June. He had spent the past six years at Turf Moor after joining the Clarets from Brentford for £3.5m. Over that time, the 29-year-old played 219 games in all competitions.
Ben Mee (CB): Starter of last Burnley win vs Huddersfield now at Brentford
Mee is another player who started Burnley’s last win over Huddersfield to leave Turf Moor at the end of their contracts this summer. The 32-year-old has now joined his new side after penning a two-year deal with Brentford, following 376 games for the Clarets over 11 years.
Charlie Taylor (LB): One of six still at Burnley now ahead of Huddersfield trip
Charlie Taylor is one of the six players who started Burnley’s last win over Huddersfield in 2019 still at Turf Moor now. The 28-year-old joined the Clarets from Leeds United in 2017 and has enjoyed 149 appearances for the club so far, and remains under contract to 2024.
Jack Cork (CDM): Midfielder penned new contract in June to remain at Burnley
Jack Cork signed a two-year contract to remain at Burnley this summer. His previous terms were due to expire in June after relegation invalidated a one-year option, per The Athletic. The 33-year-old joined the Clarets from Swansea City in 2017, and has played 160 fixtures.
Ashley Westwood (CDM): Injured midfielder now in final year of Burnley contract
Ashley Westwood is now in the final year of his contract at Burnley and will miss the club’s trip to Huddersfield on July 29. He suffered a fracture and dislocation of his ankle at West Ham United in April, and is working to return by October to add to his 181 outings to date.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson (RM): Now a captaincy option under Vincent Kompany
Johann Berg Gudmundsson is in the final year of his contract at Burnley, who paid Charlton Athletic £2.5m in 2016. The 81-cap Iceland ace has offered nine goals and 20 assists in 156 games so far, and is now a captaincy candidate under Kompany after a strong pre-season.
Dwight McNeil (LM): Winger still at Turf Moor now but highly sought-after in Prem
Dwight McNeil is one of the players who started Burnley’s last win over Huddersfield still at Turf Moor today. But for how much longer the 22-year-old plies his trade in Lancashire is up for debate, with several clubs keen to see him remain a Premier League winger this summer.
The Rochdale-born star joined the Clarets from Manchester United as a youth and has 147 senior appearances for seven goals and 17 assists. Now, the Evening Standard report Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham are keen as Burnley are demanding just £15m.
Ashley Barnes (ST): Striker signed new contract in June to remain at Burnley
Ashley Barnes signed a new contract in June to remain at Burnley until 2023 with an option for another 12 months. The 32-year-old moved to Turf Moor from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2014, and has gone on to register 248 appearances with 47 goals and eight assists so far.
Chris Wood (ST): Starter of last Burnley win vs Huddersfield now at Newcastle
Chris Wood pulled Burnley level in their last win over Huddersfield after Mounie’s opener, before Barnes hit the Clarets’ late winner. Wood offered 53 goals and nine assists over his 165 appearances for Burnley between 2017 and 2022, having joined from Leeds for £15m.
Burnley paid a club-record fee at the time to hire the New Zealand international, now with Newcastle United. The Magpies triggered a £25m release clause in Wood’s contract at Turf Moor this January, after which he scored just two goals from 17 games including a penalty.