Sean Dyche has backed Charlie Taylor to push for England honours in the future.

With Nick Pope away with the Three Lions for their games against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria many thought James Tarkowski was unlucky to miss out on a spot in Gareth Southgate’s squad.

Other Clarets are also pushing for inclusion in the national side, Ben Mee’s prospects having long been talked up while Dwight McNeil is with the Under-21s.

But Dyche has singled out Taylor for praise, surprising in some respects given the fact the left back only made his first Premier League appearance of the season off the bench against Everton on Saturday.

He replaced the injured Erik Pieters, the Dutchman having arrived from Stoke in the summer and made the most of an injury to Taylor to make the spot his own.

The 26-year-old was a nailed on starter this season in many people’s eyes having made 45 appearances in all competitions last season.

“I think it’s interesting for me, over these years, and now we’re very confidently talking about Burnley players being in the England squad,” Dyche said.

“I remember when Tom Heaton got his first call up, it was ‘wow, Burnley haven’t had an England player for however many years’, and now we’re talking about it free and easy, saying, okay, Tom, Keano (Michael Keane), Corky (Jack Cork) got one out of the blue of course, you could argue last season for Westy (Ashley Westwood), just if you were going on form, and performances.

“I still think there’s a lot of room and time for Charlie Taylor to go into that thinking, along his development line. Erik’s doing well at the moment, but that doesn’t mean I’ve got a lack of belief in Charlie.

“It’s good to say Burnley players are being talked about as freely as we are with the national side, and other international players as well.”

The battle for the left back spot is a headache that Dyche enjoys, the Clarets boss having been impressed with Pieters’ drive since his arrival.

He said: “He (Taylor) had such a strong season last season, which he isn’t a million miles from but Erik has come in and laid down some really strong performances, and he did as soon as he came in.

“Regardless of age or fees, you want players to come in with that whole desire to play, and Erik has come in and said ‘I’m not bothered about how well you did last season, or who played what, I’m bothered about me and I want to play’.

“And he’s earned the right so far to play.

“He’s come in lean, fit, sharp, wanting to play, his body language in training and games, through pre-season was ‘I’m here to play’.

“Not that Charlie wasn’t, but Charlie had an injury in pre-season that took about three weeks, and it’s hard when you miss that chunk of football and fitness in pre-season.

“Then we had to try and fast track him, and in the first game, we delivered. Won 3-0 and Erik played well, so it’s hard then, when you’re off and running and the team is operating, sometimes you have to wait your chance, keep earning the right through training, games, to get back in, or there’s a twist of fate.”