SAM Vokes can take the high of qualifying for next summer’s European Championships into his club form with Burnley, according to former Clarets and Wales winger Leighton James.

Vokes was part of the historic Wales side which secured at a place at Euro 2016 in France on Saturday night and is set to feature for his country once again in tonight’s final qualifier at home to Andorra.

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And while the 25-year-old is soaking up the plaudits having helped Wales to qualify for a first major tournament since 1958, James believes the achievement will benefit Burnley as well.

“Sam can take that confidence he will gain from qualifying for a major tournament back to his club form with Burnley,” said James, who won 54 caps for Wales.

“The current team has done remarkably well. Before the group started you would have said Belgium were the favourites, with Bosnia second, and then Wales in with Cyprus and Israel for third place.”

Vokes was a late substitute in Bosnia and he has scored three goals for Burnley in the Championship so far this campaign, having spent the second half of the Premier League season returning to full fitness following a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Since returning from the lengthy lay-off in January Vokes has been named in every Wales squad, and James believes he is a shoo-in to travel to France if he remains fit.

“We (Wales) aren’t blessed with that many players numerically so we can’t afford to be without someone like Sam Vokes,” he said.

“He has to go as part of the squad, if he is fit and playing as he is now then he won’t be pencilled in by Chris Coleman, his name will be written in bold.”

And James, who was a member of Wales’ successful 1976 side which reached a two-legged quarter-final of the European Championships, believes Vokes would return from France a better player.

“Going to France for a major tournament will be unbelievable for someone like Sam,” said James.

“You are mixing with, and playing against, some of the best players in the world.

“A lot of these players will never play abroad but this is a chance to experience different cultures and styles.

“It will educate them and a lot of them, hopefully like Sam, will come back better players.

“Come the summer the rest of Europe are going to be aware of the dangers posed by Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, so I hope one or two other players can step up to make a real name for themselves.

“People will expect the likes of Bale, Ramsey and Ashley Williams to come to the party, but if one or two others could emerge that would be brilliant.”