Matej Vydra has been backed to follow a well trodden path at Burnley by manager Sean Dyche.

The attacker made just his 17th appearance for the club, and 13th in the Premier League, when used off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park last week.

Vydra has had to be patient for opportunities since arriving from Derby County having finished last season as top scorer in the Championship.

The 27-year-old has found life tough at Turf Moor though, with just two goals to his name, and none since September.

But Dyche says the Czech Republic international should take heart from the progress of the likes of Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Nick Pope and James Tarkowski who have gone on to become regulars in the side despite being slow to make an immediate impact after joining the club.

“That is the idea, we have seen with the different players over my time here,” the Burnley boss explained.

“Keano (Michael Keane), I think he only had 18 games in his first season in the Premier League and then had a full season in the Championship and then a full season in the Premier League and the rest is history.

“Johann, Popey, Tarky – they had been with us a season before they got a look in. We are looking for that kind of thought and can he come again and offer something different because it is not always an instant thing.

“A lot of players do take time to adjust to the Premier League or playing in the Premier League.”

Vydra, who replaced Ashley Barnes with 18 minutes to go, could have won his side a penalty late on when appearing to be pushed to the floor by Keane when racing on to a ball forward.

On his cameo, Dyche added: “He has been waiting for it and been around it and trying to find the moment.

“He could have nicked us a penalty on another day possibly.”

Dyche believes Vydra’s arrival, just two days before the transfer window closed in August, didn’t help the attacker’s cause.

He scored on his Burnley debut, in the Europa League draw with Olympiakos, and on his first Premier League start for the Clarets against Bournemouth in a 4-0 win at Turf Moor.

But despite a fast start, it’s been hard for Vydra to force his way in, not least because of the form of Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes, with the strikers having scored 13 and 12 goals respectively this term.

Dyche added: “He came in really late last pre-season and he wasn’t fit when he came in because of some complexities with the Derby situation where he hadn’t been training with any real intensity.

“All those things have to be factored in.”

Meanwhile, full back Phil Bardsley missed the defeat at Everton through injury. 

“He has trained one day in the last two and a half weeks and the others had been playing,” boss Dyche said.

“We try and work as much as we can with rewarding the players.”