SAM Vokes has declared he is loving life at Turf Moor after playing his part in the latest stage of Burnley’s remarkable rise.

The Wales international has seen the Clarets progress on and off the pitch since he joined permanently in the summer of 2012 after a brief loan spell in the previous season, encompassing two promotions from the Championship and now survival in the Premier League.

Vokes had led a nomadic career before he ended up in East Lancashire, leaving Bournemouth for Wolves as a youngster but making just four of his 47 league starts for Wanderers from the start, and loan spells with six separate clubs followed.

Burnley were one of those and while at first he just felt like another brief stop on the map for Vokes, he soon realised he had found the right club.

“It’s been a great journey to be a part of,” he said. “When I came here on loan from Wolves at the start it just felt like another loan move at the time, but then I signed permanently.

“You can see how important the club is to the locals, it’s a massive club, so to be a part of two promotions and survival has been amazing. I love it here!

“It’s the dressing room, the lads have been fantastic and I’ve got some great mates here. I’ve created some great memories.”

Vokes capped his 205th appearance for Burnley with a brace against West Brom last weekend in a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor that will almost certainly secure the Clarets’ Premier League status for next season.

They are six points clear of Hull City with two games to go and are 19 goals better off than the Tigers, and now the target from games against Bournemouth and West Ham is to see how high up the table they can finish.

“You set the goal to stay up at the start of the season but once you’ve achieved that it’s all about where you can end up,” said Vokes.

“We’ve got two games remaining and we won’t take our foot off the pedal, we’ll keep going for the highest place that we can.”

Vokes’ double against the Baggies took him to 10 for the season and continued a stunning 12 months that began with him netting the goals that secured Burnley promotion and then the title, before scoring for Wales in their Euro 2016 quarter-final win over Belgium in France.

His first Premier League goal arrived against Liverpool in August and Saturday was the first time he had netted twice in a top flight game.

“It’s amazing to look back at them because it’s all happened so quickly. The last year has been crazy,” Vokes said of a whirlwind 12 months.

“To be part of all those achievements is huge and it’s nice to have them to look back on.”