SAM Vokes returns to club colours today after a summer that he - and those in the away end at Turf Moor this afternoon - will never forget.

Many of those Swansea fans who will be at Burnley will have been in France supporting Vokes and his Wales teammates in June and July.

And the striker will also enjoy a swift reunion with some of his colleagues from Chris Coleman’s squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

“When the fixtures came out, I was down at breakfast with the Wales squad and some of the Swansea lads were there, so we had some banter about it,” said Vokes.

“But it’s a good one for us because we are at home first and we want to make Turf Moor a fortress.”

When Vokes scored the goal that earned Burnley promotion to the Premier League and then set them on their way to the title-clinching success at Charlton he was pretty pleased with life. Little did he know it was only the start of a summer he admits he will savour forever.

The 26-year-old started Wales’ dismantling of Russia in the final group game and then came off the bench against Belgium in the quarter-final with Coleman’s side 2-1 up and clinging on for a famous victory.

What followed is the stuff dreams are made of. As Chris Gunter shaped to cross from the right with four minutes to go Vokes made his move to the near post, and the rest is history.

“I’ll try to live off that for the rest of my life,” the Burnley striker said of his stunning header that clinched the win.

“It was a great evening, one of the best nights in Welsh history.

“For us to win a quarter-final and get into a semi, and to be part of it with a goal, was a great achievement.

“We were 2-1 up, defending for our lives, and I came on and felt like a centre-half at times.

“We were under so much pressure, so to break away and get that goal in front of our fans was a great feeling because it felt like we had done it.

“I can’t describe how it felt when the ball hit the back of the net.”

Wales went out in the semi-final to eventual champions Portugal but were given a heroes welcome on their return home.

But for all that they achieved Vokes admits there remains a sense of what could have been.

“Yeah, there are those thoughts, of course,” he said. “No team wants to lose a semi-final, you don’t want to go out at the stage.

“It’s hard to look back with negative thoughts because it was such a good thing to be part of the tournament, but when the final whistle went, we were gutted to lose a semi-final, even though it is something great to look back on.”

Vokes’ goal against Belgium was his first international strike since the cruciate knee ligament injury that ruled him out of the first half of Burnley’s last Premier League campaign two years ago.

Although he returned on Boxing Day of that season he only really hit top form again last term, and he sees this year as his first real crack at the top flight.

“It was tough, especially on the opening night when we played Chelsea and I was watching from the stand,” he said.

“That’s what drives you really and makes it more important to take your opportunities, so I am really looking forward to this.”

The Welshman’s partnership with Andre Gray will be key for Burnley this season, but while they have struck the right note on the pitch, Vokes revealed they aren’t quite so in tune off the pitch.

“We’re good mates, we car share,” he said. “He lives next door to me, so you get the relationship on and off the pitch, but it’s not quite like the Peter Kay car share just yet with car karaoke.

“We take it in turns to drive, but we are different when it comes to music. I can’t understand most of what he puts on.

“I tried to get the Manics on, but he isn’t having any of it. He hates my music too, he calls it hill-billy music.”