SEAN Dyche believes James Tarkowski is seeing the bigger picture at Burnley as he continues to wait for a first-team chance in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old made his second start of the season in the FA Cup stalemate at Sunderland on Saturday, having also begun the EFL Cup defeat to Accrington Stanley back in August.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Tarkowski has started just four games for the Clarets since his deadline day move from Brentford in the January transfer window a year ago, while he has come off the bench in a further nine games.

But Dyche has regularly praised his third choice centre-back and he also spoke highly of fourth choice Kevin Long before Burnley’s trip to the Stadium of Light.

Long missed out in the North East and his only start this term was the Stanley defeat, but Dyche believes both of his reserve centre-backs are developing into very good players, despite currently finding themselves behind Michael Keane and Ben Mee in the pecking order.

“I must say Kevin Long and Tarky, they’re good players, very good players,” said Dyche. “It’s hard for them at the moment because the two lads have done very well, but I think they’re developing very strong careers, it’s just you don’t see that because they’re not on the pitch.”

Manchester-born Tarkowski was a regular for Brentford before he returned to the North West a year ago. He started 74 games for the Bees but has found his chances at Turf Moor limited by the form of Keane and Mee. He impressed on Saturday in the goalless draw with Sunderland, but Dyche believes he is ready for the bigger challenge of forcing his way into the side.

“He was a realist when he got here, we signed him when we were playing very well,” said Dyche.

“He wanted the bigger picture challenge, and that’s what he’s here for. It’s not just the immediate challenge, signing the contract for a number of years where you’re going to build into a career at Burnley Football Club, and I think that’s how they look at it while they’re not physically playing.

“We’ve got a good bunch of professionals here who understand both their challenge and the challenge.”