A YEAR after considering offers from League Two clubs, Scott Arfield says he will be ‘forever grateful’ to Sean Dyche for the opportunity to play in the Premier League.

Burnley’s only goalscorer in the top flight this season, Arfield’s career could have been so very different. The Scot found himself without a club after leaving Huddersfield Town, then under the guidance of Mark Robins, at the end of the 2012/13 campaign.

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Far from stepping up a level, it looked then that he would have to drop down one or maybe two divisions.

Southend United and MK Dons are the two names that Sean Dyche mentioned recently, when talking about where Arfield could have ended up that summer.

“It was more of a mutual agreement just to leave Huddersfield,” the 25-year-old reflects now.

“They were more than happy and I was absolutely delighted to be fair, just to leave and have a new start.

“The season before that was a bit stop-start, I wasn’t really in the team and I just wanted a new challenge.

“I spoke to a few managers in League One and League Two. Nothing really materialised, there were a couple on the table but it was down south and I didn’t really want to go that far.

“I’d done League One for two seasons and I’d played a bit in the Championship and I definitely had the belief to play in that league and show people what I could do.

“Thankfully I just came in here. I didn’t even think it was anything, I thought I was coming in to train just to keep fit.

“I managed to do well and the gaffer saw that I could enhance the squad that little bit.

“I’m forever grateful for what he has done and the belief he put in me.

“I think I took that for granted in the early days at Falkirk with John Hughes.

“Once I went to Huddersfield I never really got that belief and that run of games that I thought I deserved.

“It was up to me to try to play here and thankfully I did that. Then once you’re in that team you want to stay in the team.”

Arfield is relishing his first crack at the Premier League.

“I’ve loved it,” he said. “I think I’d definitely be lying if I thought I’d be in this situation two years ago, or even the last campaign.

“But what we’ve got is we’re all on the same page. You see across the country with different teams they’ve all got these egos that hinder the squad a wee bit. We’ve not got that. We never had it last season and we’ve certainly not got it this season.”

Arfield was once a member of the band The Begbies and has been joined at Turf Moor this season by fellow guitar enthusiast Lukas Jutkiewicz, with the pair planning a duet in front of the squad soon.

“I think we’re going to write our own wee thing,” said Arfield. “I’ve spoken to Jukesy and I think it’s something we can do – write a few words, get the guitars and see what comes of it. We’ll probably do it on a Friday some time.”

As well as musical aims, Arfield still has an international one.

Many around Burnley are surprised that he is still waiting for his first call into the Scotland squad.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do,” he admits.

“But it’s not the be all and end all. To play for this team and in the Premier League is the main thing.”