STEPHEN Ward believes the increased competition in the Burnley squad keeps everyone on their toes as he looks forward to a battle for the left-back berth with Charlie Taylor.

Republic of Ireland international Ward started 37 of 38 Premier League games last season as he saw off competition from Liverpool loanee Jon Flanagan to retain his place in Sean Dyche’s starting line-up.

But the 31-year-old will have a fight on his hands during this season after Dyche made Leeds United left-back Taylor his first summer signing, with the fee for the 23-year-old set to be decided by a tribunal with the clubs so far unable to agree on a price.

And Ward is relishing the battle for a starting spot at left back.

“I knew there was always going to have someone coming in,” he said of Taylor’s arrival. “We need competition everywhere and that just keeps everyone on the edge. I was pleased with how I did last year, I had a decent season and I want to continue to improve this year and it starts in pre-season.”

Ward and Taylor both played 45 minutes for the Clarets in their first pre-season friendly of the summer against Shamrock Rovers last Friday.

That game came at the end of a week-long training camp in Ireland and all three of Dyche’s new additions so far were able to attend, with Taylor joined by Jon Walters and Jack Cork.

And Ward feels having new faces in for the start of pre-season can only help Burnley hit the ground running when the Premier League campaign begins with a trip to Chelsea on August 12.

“It’s very beneficial. I think even speaking to Jonny, they get to know straight away how you work,” Ward added.

“I said sometimes it’s difficult to get signed in January, you know the season is half way through, the team has been working a certain way, and it can take that little bit longer to bed in so it’s important and I think that we do a lot of the work earlier and I’m sure there will be a few more to come in now.

“Definitely it makes it a lot easier come the start of the season.”

Ward was one of Burnley’s standout performers in 2016/17 and his form went up a level in the second half of the campaign as he impressed in a settled back four.

But he puts the improvement down to standards improving across the board from Christmas onwards, and he is determined to carry that into the new season.

“As a team we were (better) and that’s what helped us massively,” he added.

“We started the season really well, especially at home, but with our away performances in the second half of the season I thought we were getting better and better and more confident, even though we didn’t get that win until Palace.

“We have to take that experience into the season as well.”