DWIGHT McNeil is one of the “top talents in the country” according to Burnley boss Sean Dyche.

The 20-year-old winger has started every Premier League game for the Clarets this campaign and was a bright spark in the 3-0 defeat at Chelsea last time out.

Having broken through last season, McNeil has gone from strength to strength this time around and is now regularly linked with a big-money move away from Turf Moor.

His performance at Stamford Bridge, in the second half especially, was one that stood out for his manager who could not praise him highly enough.

“On a platform like today I thought Dwight McNeil was outstanding,” Dyche said post-match.  

“He has got to be one of the top talents in the country for me at the moment, the game is getting away from you and it is a hard day at the office and he was different class.

“You could give him the ball and he was dribbling past three or four different players and carrying it.

“He was absolutely different class for me.”

It could be argued that McNeil’s talents are going under the radar outside of East Lancashire, despite links with Manchester United, Juventus and others.

For Dyche though, getting the game time he does with the Clarets is speeding up is development and is something that he might not get elsewhere.

“Possibly (he’d get more respect at a bigger club), but on the other hand, he’s getting a lot of football, which at a bigger club he might not, so there's a balance to that,” said the Burnley boss.

"But he's a fine young player, I think he's got a long way to go in the game and he can forge his way to times bigger than us.

"He's learning, his delivery is good, but there's a long way to go to get up with the best in the Premier League, because there's some fine talent, without a doubt, but he's earning the right to be a player, the way he's going about it, his work ethic, he's a humble lad, which I like, and he's willing to work.

"I just thought he was terrific in a game that was getting away from us, still getting the ball, still active, still working back, all the things you want from all players, particularly young players, to go and play with freedom in the Premier League.”