THE moment Brian Flynn first saw Sam Vokes play he knew he had found a good 'un.

Former Claret Flynn was in charge of Wales Under-21s at the time and was scouring the English game for players eligible for the Red Dragons.

The 62-year-old, still involved in the game as European scout for Swansea, said 'a lot of research' had gone into Vokes' heritage and once his Welsh ancestry had been confirmed Flynn went to watch the then 17-year-old playing for Bournemouth.

Over a decade on Flynn is delighted to see Vokes starring for club and country, with 201 league games under his belt for Burnley now and 56 caps for Wales.

"Sam has been a model professional," said Flynn, who made 250 appearances for the Clarets across two spells at Turf Moor.

"From the first game I saw him play as a 17-year-old down at Bournemouth I knew his career would go a long way and at the top level.

"Working with him at a young age and seeing his attitude and commitment and the sacrifices he was prepared to give up, he was always going to be Premier League."

As soon as Flynn had seen Vokes play he brought him into the under-21s and his faith has been more than rewarded over the years.

"I picked him at 17 for the under-21s, he was that good I was fast tracked straight him to the under-21s," he said.

"A lot of research went into him and knowing he was eligible for Wales. It doesn’t happen overnight but it was worthwhile doing all that work.

"He’s been a great servant for Wales, he’s been top class. He’s got 56 caps, not many have done that. It’s a great achievement."

Flynn still lives in Burnley having come through the youth ranks but his role in Welsh football cannot be underestimated.

His time with the Clarets and his influence on Wales is all part of a biography on Flynn written by Leon Barton called Little Wonder.

Flynn will be signing copies of the book at the Burnley club shop at Turf Moor on Thursday (February 22) from 3pm to 5pm.

Of the book he said: "Leon’s a big Wrexham fan so he remembers my days at Wrexham. It was a pleasant surprise when he first contacted me.

"I’m pleased with it, he’s done really well, I’ve filled in the gaps really to be honest. I’m really happy with how it’s turned out.

"When Leon put the subject to the publishers they widened it out from Welsh football to a full career, from Burnley as a youngster and then all that followed.

"There’s obviously a lot about the Welsh squad and getting to the Euro semi-finals.

"There’s some great memories in there."