SAM Vokes admits Burnley have taken delight in proving people wrong this season as they celebrate Premier League safety.

Vokes' 10 top flight goals have helped the Clarets to the 40 point mark and a second successive season at this level for the first time since the mid-1970s.

Burnley were favourites for the drop at the beginning of the season but after beating Liverpool on the second weekend they have never looked back and never looked in trouble, confounding the bookmakers' predictions.

And Vokes believes the achievement of staying up this season has been 'huge' for the Clarets.

"You see a club this size in the Premier League, the biggest thing for us is you go into the season as underdogs so it’s a massive feeling to prove people wrong," he said.

"It’s huge for the club and I’m sure the fans will enjoy it."

Burnley fell just short of survival in the Premier League in 2014/15 but hit back a year ago to win the Championship, when Vokes scored the goals that sealed promotion and then set the Clarets on their way to the title at Charlton.

The Wales international admits it's difficult to compare the two achievements but believes the feats of the side this year probably just come out on top given the levels of competition.

"It’s difficult to compare but I think it probably tops it," he said. "You see the quality in the Premier League and to compete at this level and stay at this level is a huge achievement from the lads and everyone at the club.

"I think everyone views us as a small team in the Premier League but clubs like ourselves and Bournemouth are proving people wrong. We've shown that we can survive."

Now survival is in the big the target is to take another step forward.

It's been an incredible journey for the Clarets under Dyche and which Vokes said it was 'hard to put your finger' on the next step forward, he is determined that Burnley will continue to prove people wrong with their achievements.

"You go in to the season as underdogs, you always will do when you're a club this size," he said of the 2017/18 campaign.

"But we've shown this year and in seasons gone by that we can prove people's' perceptions wrong."