JAY Rodriguez admits he’s had to wait a long time to fulfil a boyhood dream of scoring for Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League.

But, after scoring a stunning late consolation in the Clarets’ 4-2 defeat against Chelsea on Saturday, he says he’s keen to make up for lost time.

The 30-year-old returned to Turf Moor in the summer after a seven-year spell away from East Lancashire, first at Southampton and then at West Bromwich Albion.

He failed to make top-flight appearance for Owen Coyle’s Burnley side in the 2009/10 season and has been forced to wait for his chance in Sean Dyche’s starting XI given the form of Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood so far this term.

“It’s been a long time coming but I’m here to work, I’m here to learn and to help the team as much as I can," Rodriguez said.

“It was a proud moment. To represent your hometown club in the Premier League is what I always wanted to do as a young lad and it was nice, I just wish it was in different circumstances as either the winner or to level the game but unfortunately it wasn’t.”

Dyche has often spoken of the need for those on the fringes of the first team to be ready to come into the side and affect the game.

And having scored on his previous start – the 3-1 defeat to Sunderland in the Carabao Cup – Rodriguez is certainly showing Dyche his worth.

Rodriguez said: “You always, as a striker, want to score as many goals as you can and affect the game and help the team.

“Unfortunately it was when we were 4-0 down so it was disappointing but I think it shows the belief we have and even at 4-0 we can hurt any team.”