10:30am Friday 30th July 2010
By Suzanne Geldard
BURNLEY manager Brian Laws believes he may have unearthed the “bargain of the season” in summer signing Dean Marney.
The midfielder, who is understood to have cost the Clarets’ just £350,000, is the first of four new faces to have so far arrived at Turf Moor since the end of last term.
This week he enhanced an already promising pre-season with two goals in their penultimate friendly.
Marney was at the double as Burnley came back from 2-0 down in a behind-closed doors game with Accrington Stanley, after the annual meeting at the Crown Ground had to be called off due to pitch complications.
The 26-year-old preserved an unbeaten pre-season run with a well-guided, looping header and a tidy finish after their League Two neighbours took a 2-0 lead into the break.
But it wasn’t the only warm-up game in which Marney has had a strong influence.
The former Hull City midfielder put in some particularly industrious performances on the tour of Singapore, which led to goals for fellow newcomer Chris Iwelumo and twice for Chris Eagles before he got among the goals himself in their first game back on home soil.
“I think Dean could turn out to be the bargain of the season,” said Laws.
“He has impressed everybody since he came here with his energy, drive and workrate, and obviously he can score goals.
“He is a player who can play wide but centrally is his best position.”
Burnley go into their final friendly, against Stoke City tomorrow (kick-off 3pm at Huddersfield Town), boasting 18 goals and eight different goalscorers.
Marney’s brace means all three of Laws’ new outfield players have been on the scoresheet this summer.
Ross Wallace scored the Clarets’ first goal of the summer on his debut against Bury. Iwelumo missed a penalty in the next game at Oldham, but scored three goals in two games on tour.
“We've been happy with the newcomers,” added the Burnley boss.
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