‘Everybody loves players that can beat people in a one-vs-one and he’s got that, I can only tell the fans to enjoy him as much as possible”- Vincent Kompany tells fans to enjoy Wilson Odobert as he admits club’s transfer policy means Clarets are likely to sell player in the future
Vincent Kompany believes Burnley fans should be excited to see what Wilson Odobert can do in the absence of Luca Koleosho.
The 19-year-old stepped up to the plate last weekend, scoring Burnley’s goal in their 1-1 draw against Brighton.
The winger was drafted back into Kompany’s starting line-up after Koleosho suffered a serious knee injury that is likely to keep him out for a number of months.
Koleosho has arguably been Burnley’s standout performer so far this season alongside Lyle Foster, who is also currently sidelined. While losing Koleosho is undeniably a major blow for the Clarets, Kompany is excited to see what Odobert can do in his place.
“I was extremely gutted with the injury of Luca because he was our star performer like Lyle was. Let’s not forget we’re coming through all of this as well,” he said.
“But I was also excited for Wilson, because the fans don’t get to see the work he does in training. They don’t get to see the talent this kid has.
“As long as he keeps working hard every day – and I don’t see any signs of that changing – then I think the fans will have another one to look forward to.
“Everybody loves players that can beat people in a one-vs-one and he’s got that. I can only tell the fans to enjoy him as much as possible because he is going to be a real asset for us moving forward.”
Odobert is one of many “little gems” Kompany believes he has at his disposal, following the club’s strategy of buying young talent during the summer transfer window.
The Clarets also brought in the likes of James Trafford and Zeki Amdouni, who have both featured heavily in the first-team.
As Kompany has explained previously, the expectation is for Burnley to develop these players and eventually sell them on for a big profit, before reinvesting that cash back into the team.
Addressing Burnley’s approach to recruitment following the game at Brighton, Kompany said: “Saying it in a place like Brighton makes so much sense, but you’re always looking to grow.
“When you’re in the Premier League, how can you go from struggling and being mid-table to trying to have something more? Otherwise you’ll just struggle perpetually.
“You have to find players. The only way for us to find resources, we don’t have the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund behind us, so the only way for us to increase the size of the club is to have players that other teams want.
“When that revenue comes in, we can strengthen again and go up and up.
“We’re in a place [Brighton] that has done this very successfully, but for us in this moment in time having those players in the squad is not all about playing them at the same time. It’s about finding the right time for them to play.
“It was Luca’s time, now it’s Odobert’s time. But around it you still have Sander Berge, you have Joey Gudmundsson, you have Jay Rodriguez, so the key thing is to have that balance. But in the toughest league in the world it’s also the toughest thing to do.”
