ASHLEY Westwood was delighted his own form after earning a run of games in the Burnley side in the second half of last season.

The midfielder has had to be patient since his £5million move from Aston Villa in January 2017, but a knee injury to Steven Defour midway through last season handed him the chance to impress.

It was one the 28-year-old took, starting the last 12 games of the campaign in the absence of the Belgian.

Even when he was out of the side Westwood insisted there was no disappointment, as he praised the work ethic of the players battling to get into the side, a point boss Sean Dyche has regularly made as well.

“I didn’t really play as much as I wanted to early on but that’s down to the team, Steven and Corky have been tremendous, Corky especially," Westwood said of the early stages of the campaign.

“Unfortunately for Steven he got injured and that gave me my chance but we’re a group in there, we’re all backing each other.

“When you’re in or out of the team there’s no disappointments, we just get on with it.

“I’m really enjoying my football now."

Westwood struck up a good midfielder partnership with Jack Cork towards the end of the season.

Defour is back in light training now ahead of the Clarets' return to pre-season training on July 2, but Westwood will provide competition in midfield.

“The lads keep themselves fit, the training is high, so when you’re given your chance you now you’re going to be ready for it," he said.

Westwood began his career at Crewe and has plenty of Football League experience, a theme that runs through Dyche's squad.

The midfielder believes that the desire to prove the critics wrong has helped foster a strong mentality at Turf Moor, with plenty of players earning their shot at the Premier League have come up the hard way.

“I think all the lads in that changing room have come from setbacks. We’ve all been there and worked our way up through the leagues," Westwood said.

“For a group of lads to be doing that is really special."