CLARETS hotshot Andre Gray admits his time out of the side in recent weeks has been frustrating, but he is determined to learn from a spell on the substitutes bench.

Having returned from a four-game ban for historical abusive social media posts Gray went straight back into the side for the goalless draw at Manchester United, but was then restricted to appearances off the bench for three successive games against Crystal Palace, West Brom and Manchester City.

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But last season’s top scorer was back in the starting line-up for Saturday’s defeat at Stoke City and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions in a lively display.

Having seen Ashley Barnes come on ahead of him to score the winner against Palace Gray is aware he had little room for complaint.

“The boys have been doing well so I can’t really complain too much,” the 25-year-old said. “It’s frustrating because I want to play and that’s the first time I’ve been in that situation. It’s a lesson learned and I’ve just got to keep working hard.

“I’ve just had to keep my head down and work hard. It’s a matter of taking your chance when it comes.”

Gray has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years having been playing for Hinckley in the Conference North five years ago.

During his time with Hinckley, Luton Town and Brentford he has stayed among the goals and has established himself as a first-team regular, until his recent spell out of the Clarets side in the Premier League.

“That’s football at the end of the day,” Gray said of the first real bump in the road in his recent development.

“The gaffer is going to change formation, people will come in and people will come out. It’s not like the Championship last year when we were high and flying and winning every game. You’ve just got to keep your head and keep working hard.

“I’ve learned a lot. Obviously I had that ban so I’ve not played as much as I had hoped this season.

“I’ve learned a lot and I’ll keep learning, just like I did during my first season in the Championship. I just kept learning and in the end I was getting in to my stride. I then came to Burnley with a year’s experience. Hopefully I can keep doing that and keep improving.

“I just want to put everything else behind me now, keep playing, start scoring and continue learning.”

Gray will hope to retain his place for the visit of Bournemouth to Turf Moor as the Clarets begin a stretch of three key home games before the turn of the year, with Middlesbrough in town on Boxing Day and Sunderland on New Year’s Eve.

“Every game is key,” said Gray. “We’ve shown that we can play against the big boys as well.

“We’ve just got to go in to every game with the same mentality and try to get as many points as we can.”