IT’S been quite a few days for Burnley teenager Dwight McNeil.

Last week he made his first Clarets start in the Europa League clash with Olympiakos and he followed that up with another outing against Manchester United in the Premier League.

The 18-year-old only made his first team debut as a last minute sub on the final day of last season but he has come a long way since.

The Turf faithful gave him a standing ovation when he was replaced 15 minutes from time against the Greek side while he also impressed in his 80 minutes against Jose Mourinho’s men.

It has been something of a whirlwind for the winger, released by United four years ago, and he admits he never thought his first two Burnley starts would come against such giants of European football - the pair having 64 domestic titles between them.

“It’s been a dream come true, it’s happened so fast,” McNeil said.

“I found out on Wednesday I was starting in Europe. With how the first leg went being 3-1 down I didn’t expect to be starting, I just expected to be in and around it.

“But I was really happy when I found out I was just starting.

“And then I started against United and I’m a United fan as well, I couldn’t believe it, it was another dream come true, but it’s about taking it in and taking it on board.”

McNeil is highly-rated at Turf Moor and now faces the task of keeping his spot, with international wingers Robbie Brady and Johann Berg Gudmundsson close to returning from injury.

“I just need to keep playing well. I want to play as best as I can to get more games,” he said.

Those words were echoed by the Rochdale-born wideman’s manager, who feels there is still more to come from his developing Academy prospect.

“It is an amazing experience for Dwight, those two games, fantastic,” said Dyche. “At 18-years-old, playing against a side that released him, he’s come a long way in a short period, and there’s more to come from him.

“But he knows that, he’s learning, he knows the work involved, the work on and off the ball, but he will learn and he’s doing a really nice job.

“We want him to be around the first team group, which he has been for a long time now since the at the end of last season and pre-season,

“We have got Robbie Brady to get back fit, of course, and Johann, two high quality players, but we certainly want him to stay with us and be in and around the group as he has been, because he’ll learn a lot from that.”

The only sour note for McNeil has been the results.

The 1-1 draw with Olympiakos was not enough to extend the Clarets’ stay in Europe while Manchester United were 2-0 winners in East Lancashire to extend Burnley’s winless start to the season.

But McNeil believes there are positives to take from the defeat to the Red Devils and, with Burnley now having two weeks off owing to the international break, is confident their season can get up and running when they return to action against Wolves on September 16.

“We just need the three points, then we can get going,” he added.

“They (United) were the better side, they started off better, but second half we were better, we created some chances but we just couldn’t find the goal.”