ANDRE Gray is proud at the way he has handled the step up to the Premier League this season - and hopes to follow in Jamie Vardy's footsteps by banging in the goals next season.

Gray's rise from non-league to the Premier League came as quickly as Leicester City man Vardy's jump, but while Vardy, now an England regular, struck just five times in his first top flight season, Gray has ended up with nine in three less appearances.

Since leaving Luton Town and the Conference for Brentford Gray has continued to find the back of the net on a regular basis, hitting 25 in the Championship last year before his successes at the highest level yet this year.

The 25-year-old accepts he was always going to have learning to do this season, but he feels he has handled the step-up well and can still find more improvements to his game.

"It was always going to be difficult, I’ve jumped up four of five leagues in three years so it was always going to be hard, I was never going to come into the Premier League and win the Golden Boot," he said.

"It’s about learning and I think I’ve learnt a lot. A lot of it is mentality and hunger to get better."

Asked if he was proud at the way he adapted to life in the Premier League, Gray added: "Definitely. I’ve scored quite a few goals considering it’s my first season, so hopefully I can do what Jamie Vardy did and score 25 next year.

"I’ve got a lot to work on. I’ve got a good base, it’s just tuning things up and hopefully I can step on and do a lot better next season as I did when I was in the Championship."

Gray followed up his 16 goal haul in his first season in the second tier by adding another nine to the tally in 2015/16, helping fire Burnley to the title.

He got off the mark in just his second Premier League game, scoring in the win over Liverpool, before missing out for four games with a ban who historical tweets.

But he believes that strike early in the season helped him to settle to life in the top flight.

"It was massive," he said. "It was the second game so it was good to get a goal early. It was a shame it had to come to an end with the ban.

"It’s good I can look back and think I could have scored more and done better. I think that’s a good thing, rather than coming off and thinking I couldn’t have done anymore. I know I could've so I have to take the positives.

"There’s more to come. I’ve got to come back fit and ready again and learn from my mistakes this year and work on what I can do better."

Gray was one of 'home-grown' Burnley players to receive a commemorative football from the Premier League to mark their first appearances in the league this season.

Former Manchester City midfielder and Clarets' physio Paul Lake, now a Premier League ambassador, visited Gawthorpe to present Gray, Jeff Hendrick, James Tarkowski and Dan Agyei with the memento.

"It was fantastic. It’s another good thing to go on the mantlepiece," Gray said. "Four or five years ago I never thought I’d be playing in the Premier League so it’s a nice reward.

"It will go next to the hat-trick ball."