TOM Heaton has revealed the captaincy advice given to him by former Manchester United colleague Gary Neville after he was given the Turf Moor armband.

The Clarets skipper was able to have a chat with former United and England captain Neville, now a well-respected TV pundit, after Sean Dyche made him captain at Burnley.

Since being given the armband Heaton has made a mockery of suggestions it is a difficult role for a goalkeeper to fulfill, improving his own form while also leading the Clarets to the Championship title and then Premier League safety.

And it's keeping up his own levels of performance between the posts that Heaton has been keen to focus on since being made club captain.

"The one bit of advice I got, which was from Gary Neville, was to get your performances right, which I valued really," the 31-year-old said.

"If you’re not careful you can start worrying about everything else rather than concentrating on what you’re doing. Get your game right first and add in everything else, that’s how I’ve tried to look at it. It’s a constant development really, keep trying to improve where I can get better and I’m enjoying the responsibility.

"When I first got the armband I had five minutes with Gaz, he chewed my ear off for 20."

Heaton insists he's never been able to accept the theory that goalkeepers can't be captain due to their isolated position on the pitch, and said he is still able to communicate with all of his players.

“I’ve never really understood that mindset as such, but I suppose everyone has got a different way of looking at it," the England goalkeeper said of being captain while playing in goal.

"It depends what you're after. If you're talking about communicating I still talk to the front men on the pitch, so I don’t see the issue there.

"I’ve heard that before, a captain being in the middle of the pitch so they can affect people, but I try and have an affect on every player on there if it needs to be said or a message needs to be relaid. It doesn’t matter where they are I’ll still try and get it to them.

"I try not to look too deep into those sort of challenges, just try and do it the best way I can at the time.

"I’ve not had too many challenges with it. Referees always talk about using another player on the pitch if it’s in the far half which I can understand, you’re not going to get me running 70 yards to deal with an issue near the corner flag, other than that I’ve had no major issues."

Heaton added: "The communication on the pitch I’ve tried to have for about 10 years, I tried to add that in as a kid, I wasn’t massively assertive on the pitch and it was something me and my dad highlighted to try and improve on.

"I did that fairly early, it became on the strong side of average in my game early on.

"But it’s different to a captain’s responsibility I find. I’ve always been quite self absorbed in what I’m doing, and getting my job right. As soon as the manager handed me the armband you have to open your eyes a bit wider and look beyond that.

"Communicating on the pitch is something I’ve always tried to have, but communicating to people in terms of a captain’s responsibility is different. It’s getting the best out of people and knowing what to say and when to say it, setting an example, that sort thing."