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Wade Elliott

WADE Elliott believes he has bought into an exciting future for himself and Burnley Football Club after signing a new three-year deal.

The effervescent winger, who was voted Player of the Year last season, says he was delighted to end months of negotiations by putting pen to paper yesterday.

And he stressed that, if the Clarets' bid for the play-offs ultimately fails with just six games to go this season, the weight of ambition at Turf Moor will push the club on next term.

"I don't think we are out of it, although we've made it difficult for ourselves and can't afford any immediate slip-ups," said Elliott ahead of tomorrow's home game against Barnsley.

"But we'll push on and do as well as we can and see where that takes us.

"That's the short term. But, looking at the bigger picture, the club wants to progress, and I'm looking forward to being a part of that.

"The nature of the division is that it's pretty close and I would hope that we've got as good a chance as anybody of progressing.

"Everybody's desperate to get into the Premier League, from the players to the staff ... the whole club, and if we didn't think we could achieve that then I wouldn't be here. I've made a signing off the back of wanting to progress with the club.

"I've got to know the staff and the way we are going to play. I know the lads and know the club, and the people behind the scenes, and it's an enjoyable place to come and work every day.

"The manager didn't really need to sell anything to me really. He's been here for a few months now so we've had a good look at each other, and to be fair to the manager he's made it clear to me pretty early that I was part of his plans and he wanted me to stay on, and he has made a decent commitment to me.

"Even just having a quick chat with him you know that he has got plans to move us on to where he wants to go and I'm just excited to be a part of that.

"On and off the pitch we hope there's going to be a big progression over the next few years."

Nevertheless, the 29-year-old, who joined the Clarets from Bournemouth on a free transfer in May 2005, admitted that, at this stage of his career, it wasn't a decision he could take lightly.

"There was a lot to weigh up both professionally and personally, but you go off your instincts and instincitvely I felt it was the right thing to do, and when I weighed it up nothing changed that opinion. It felt like the right thing to do," he said.

"I enjoy where I'm living, I enjoy coming in every day from a professional point of view, and that was the rationale of my decision.

"I don't know about other clubs. Maybe that would have come about at the end of the season if that was the case.

"But if we weren't ambitious and I didn't think we could compete that would have been something that came into play.

"The manager's come in and shown that he is ambitious and the board will back that up. That was the only decision for me really.

"I wanted to be sure that I'm gonig to have a challenge and the expectation where we're going to be pushing.

"It would have been easy to sign and muddle along for a few years. That would have been the last thing I wanted to do.

"If we weren't going to put ourselves under pressure that wouldn't have appealed to me.

"It was frustrating for all parties because it was a slow moving process, but I'm just looking forward to the next three years now.

"We're going to have to show some good form to make progress at the end of this season. But over and beyond that everyone at the club is excited for the future. There's a pretty good atmophere about the place, and that's what I'm buying into."

And manager Owen Coyle was equally delighted to secure the services of a player who believes would cost "a million pound plus" in the open market.

"I think, for the football club, it's the biggest signing of teh season because I certainly think he has been our best player and most consistent. The last thing you want to do is lost that type of player," he said.

"There were a host of clubs that were after Wade in January and we could have sold him for a cut price because his contract was due to expire. But I never lost faith that I could get him re-signed so I rejected all those advances.

"Wade has bought into what we are trying to do and I hope we can bring in a similar player on the left hand side to get that balance now.

"That, in turn, would free Kyle Lafferty to play up front so we know exactly what we want to do.

"I have targets lined up for the summer now and hopefully we'll be able to add those on the back of signing Wade Elliott."

3:08pm Friday 28th March 2008

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