SEAN Dyche has backed Rouwen Hennings to become a big player for Burnley, after getting used to the English and Clarets culture.

The German striker moved to play on these shores for the first time this summer, as an estimated £2million signing from Bundesliga 2 side Karlsruher SC.

Burnley have established scouting connections in Europe since promotion to the Premier League in 2014.

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And although the move did not work out for former Middlesbrough loanee Jelle Vossen, who returned to his native Belgium to sign for Club Brugge just two months after his Turf Moor move from RC Genk this summer, Dyche is encouraged by Hennings’ progress.

“He’s adapting to a different way of playing, not just from our format but the way the Championship is,” said the Burnley boss.

“He’s showing good signs of it and there have been real strong glimpses of it in games and that can only continue to grow the more he trains with us, the more he plays with us and the better understanding he gets with how the Championship operates.”

Hennings could be in line for his full Burnley debut this afternoon, if record signing Andre Gray misses out with the hamstring strain picked up in the goalless draw at Derby on Monday night.

Gray’s exit just after the half-hour meant Hennings had his longest senior run-out for the Clarets this season.

Dyche said assessing if there are any similarities between the standard the striker has been accustomed to in Bundesliga 2 and now in the Championship was not a straightforward process.

But he is confident that Hennings is making the transition well.

“I think it’s really difficult to gauge because even in Bundesliga 2 there are some really big clubs, a bit like our Championship,” said the Burnley boss.

“It’s like any division there’ll be some big clubs, some middle clubs and some smaller clubs.

“There’s certainly an adaptation in just the styles, and everything about it. It’s a different culture for your life, it’s a different culture with the training schedules and the way the team operates on a daily basis, then you’ve got the fans, the feeling of the stadiums. It’s all of those things – it’s not just on the pitch but off the pitch.

“Players have to mould themselves, and he’s settled up here very quickly with his wife and children, which is great.

“He’s got a great pedigree from his younger years going through to now.

“You go on good recruitment, what your eyes are seeing, you go on information backing that and supporting it and you go on what you see in training and how he’s developing into what we do.”

Chris Long is another striker who was signed in the summer who is waiting for his big first team break but, as with Hennings, Dyche is pleased with the former Everton youngster’s contribution to the squad.

“Chris Long is slightly different, he’s got a feeling already. He’s had touches of it on loan and had a few minutes with us and getting used to our group,” he said.

“It’s probably different for him because he’s got a better understanding of it and just a feel for all of it culturally from being just down the road.”

Meanwhile, Burnley are looking to extend their unbeaten record at home this season against Reading this afternoon, after 13 points from their last five games fired them up to third in the Championship.

“I think home and away is important, but it’s fair to say if you look at most teams across all the division home form is a backbone of a season,” said Dyche.

“We’re going along nicely at home and long may that continue.”