JACK Cork is aiming to repay the faith shown in him by Sean Dyche after being handed a four-year deal at Turf Moor.

Cork is back at Burnley after playing 57 times for the Clarets across two loan spells in 2010 and 2011, and he said the feeling of being wanted by Dyche had helped persuade to sign from Swansea for £8million.

The 28-year-old midfielder is a player Dyche knows well, with the Burnley boss having been working with Watford’s development squad when a teenage Cork spent time on loan at Vicarage Road.

Eight years have passed since that first meeting between the pair, but Cork said he always believed Dyche would go to be a successful manager.

“He was at Watford briefly when I was there,” he said. “You could tell he had that sort of personality and mentality to push on to be a manager in his own right.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of hard work but it will be fun at times. We’ll enjoy it and hopefully we’ll have a good season together.

“It is nice to feel (wanted) like that and it’s nice to have that trust in someone that they believe that they can bring you back and do a job. Hopefully I can repay that faith this season and see how we go.”

Some of the staff may be familiar to Cork from his previous spell at Burnley, but only Kevin Long and Dean Marney remain from the playing squad.

Cork only arrived at the Clarets’ Carton House training camp in Ireland on Tuesday evening but said he has already been made to feel at home.

“It seems really welcoming and they’ve all been very good so far,” he said.

“I know a few of them from before and most of them from playing against them.

“They’ve been good and they seem like a good bunch of lads who will hopefully help me settle.”

Cork’s first taste of Premier League football came with the Clarets in the second half of the 2009/10 campaign.

Despite relegation that season he has happy memories of his time with the club and feels the two spells helped to mould him as a player before he made a permanent departure from then parent club Chelsea.

“I loved it here. I had a great time,” he said. “At the end of the Premier League season we went down so it would be good to have a go and do something different this year. The year after (2010-11) was a good season, we had some good players, and I really enjoyed it.

“It played a massive part in my development. I was here for a year-and-a-half and it basically felt like I’d signed for the club really. I met some great people and we played some good football. It was a great time.

“I was sad to go but I can’t really remember what happened in the summer. I ended up going to Southampton and that was that. I did really enjoy it at Burnley and my family did as well.”

Cork is now back at the club as they look forward to a second successive top flight season for the first time in more than 40 years.

Along with fellow new boy Jon Walters the former Swansea midfielder will bring top flight knowhow to the table and insists the Clarets have to keep moving forward.

“The club had an amazing season last year but you have to keep building all the time,” he said.

“Players like Jon Walters have got that Premier League experience and he’s got the games and the goals to back it up. They know what it takes to be successful in this division and players like that are great signings for the club.

“Every year in the Premier League is tough, it’s never easy, people are constantly building and trying to improve.

“I think Burnley understand that and we know that a successful season would be replicating last year or bettering it. We’ll achieve our targets slowly and build towards getting better over the next few years.”

  • The Lancashire Telegraph is following Burnley on tour in association with Accrington Clarets Supporters Club