Manuel Benson has opened up on his decision to join Burnley in the summer.

The winger was one of a number of additions made at Turf Moor during the off-season, with Vincent Kompany overseeing a drastic overhaul of the first team squad upon his arrival as manager.

Speaking with Belgian news outlet La Derniere Heure, the 25-year old revealed that he rejected the chance to sign for Anderlecht and instead opted to make the move to England.

The Burnley forward claimed there were a lot of reasons as to why he made this decision, but ultimately Kompany was credited with playing a huge role in making up his mind over which club to sign for.

QPR’s Ilias Chair also helped, offering some advice about English football before he made the switch to the Clarets.

“Yes, but several factors pushed me towards Burnley,” said Benson, via Sport Witness.

“Already, the departure of Kompany. I had a better feeling with the project he wanted to set up. 

“I love Anderlecht, I spent part of my youth career there, but the choice of the project set up by Kompany was the most logical.

“It is not at all revenge but a proof of my evolution. 

“My only objective is to show that I had the level to play in these clubs which did not believe in me.

“I loved the way his Anderlecht played. 

“I was really a fan of his style of play. 

“They made us suffer with Antwerp last season. 

“He wanted to play like that at Burnley. The choice was quickly made.

“I had been warned [about the Championship] but my friend Ilias Chair also told me that the image of the second division in England was not completely true.

“There are of course troublemakers, but this is also the case in Belgium. 

“Bellamy is teaching me to outsmart those guys.”

 

 

Benson has proven an important squad member so far this season, making 17 Championship appearances in the team that currently leads the second division table.

Five of those have come from the start, with the winger contributing five goals and three assists during his time with Burnley so far.

The Verdict

Benson has shown his readiness for the Championship with his performances so far for the team.

The 25-year old has a lot of talent and has contributed well in attack for Kompany’s side.

His transition to English football has been relatively smooth and he will be hoping to improve as he gains more experience at this level.

Burnley have the most prolific attack in the division, which Benson has played a key role in maintaining.