SCOTT Arfield’s willingness to ‘push through the ceiling’ has helped him acclimatise to the Premier League, says Sean Dyche.

The Clarets boss admits he remains surprised at the midfielder’s continued omission from the Scotland squad.

In the days after George Boyd’s stunning goal sunk Manchester City at Turf Moor, with Arfield playing his part in the marquee win, neither had a place in Gordon Strachan’s squad for this month’s games against Northern Ireland, a friendly, and their Euro 2016 qualifier against Gibraltar.

But Dyche insists the 26-year-old Arfield, who is set to make his 200th career appearance in English football at Southampton this afternoon, has nothing to prove to anyone.

“Sometimes when players go up levels they can hit the ceiling, but he is one who will consistently push his head through the ceiling tile.

“He just keeps moving forward,” said the Burnley boss, who signed Arfield on a free transfer in the summer of 2013 following his release from Huddersfield.

“Within the ups and downs with players, the enjoyment level of what he does just gets him through it.

“He’s someone who enjoys the environment we’ve got and enjoys playing.

“He loves training, always plays with a smile on his face.

“We believe in the culture and environment that we set here and how powerful that is.

“It doesn’t guarantee that every player has that thought and the freedom we speak about. We bolster a healthy environment to allow them that chance to be open minded about the next challenge and to rise to it and he’s certainly one of them.”

Dyche added: “You can ask him to operate in a number of different positions and he’s ready.

“I haven’t questioned him much, but if there ever are questions he just goes through it. It’s a tremendous will power he’s got to do that and I think that’s a real quality there.

“Over time I think that’s been more and more recognised.”

It has since emerged that Arfield could qualify for the Canada national side, but he has never made any secret of his desire to play for Scotland.

Goalkeeper Matt Gilks, who has been understudy to Tom Heaton, was another Burnley player to miss out on a Tartan Army call.

Of Arfield once again being overlooked by Scotland, Dyche said: “Managers can only pick a group of players and if they deem it inappropriate to do that then that’s totally up to them.

“I take great value in Scott, Boydy and Gilksy but that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed in the (Scotland) squad.

“The staff there and the manager pick whoever they think is right.

“He hasn’t quite managed to get in the squad.

“I’m surprised, I will say that.”