COVENTRY City's find of the season, Belgian Under 21 International Cedric Roussel, is hoping to mark his first season in English football with the kind of FA Cup run that took the Sky Blues all the way to Wembley glory in 1987.

The big striker has announced his arrival in this country by helping Coventry towards mid-table in the Premiership with three goals in six starts since singing on loan from Ghent.

But although he is new to the scene, Roussel is not naive enough to write off Burnley's chances of scuppering his Cup dream at the fourth round stage at Highfield Road on Saturday.

"There's no chance of us taking Burnley lightly. We are preparing as well for this game as we do for any in the Premiership.

"If a warning was needed then it came with what happened at Derby in the third round.

"Burnley showed they are a good team and they have been on a terrific run which will leave their confidence high" he said.

"It would be terrific to put a good Cup run together. The FA Cup is a competition of great tradition but I believe Burnley have a great tradition too and they will think they can come here and make life difficult for us. But we will be ready."

And Roussel fired a further warning to the Clarets as he looks to further develop his burgeoning strike partnership with £6m signing Robbie Keane. He added: "We are confident too. We beat Arsenal at home on Boxing Day and drew with Chelsea this week and we were very disappointed not to win.

"We feel we are playing well. It is exciting and enjoyable for me to be part of this Coventry team and I am especially excited with the way I have linked up with Robbie Keane. We have gelled well together." While Keane has fully justified Gordon Strachan's raid on Wolves for the Republic of Ireland International, who has repaid his manager's faith with nine Premiership goals already, Roussel has been arguably the more inspired signing.

The 21-year-old was going nowhere in Belgium, where he could make it only as far as the bench at Ghent.

However City's European scout Ray Clarke suggested he might be worth a look at, and he has played so well that as well as keeping Noel Whelan out of the starting line-up, he is also poised to turn his loan move into a permanent one.

"I am very hopeful that in the next couple of weeks a permanent move can be completed between Coventry and my club in Belgium.

"They wanted £4m for me which is crazy because I am just 21 and getting my career started.

"Two months ago I was absolutely nobody in Belgium but I have since spoken to the manager and I think that by mid-January something can be agreed and a fee of around £1.5m is what they are now looking at" said Roussel, who will be hoping to raise his profile further with the goals that take Coventry in the fifth round draw.

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