STEVEN Defour has pin-pointed the toughest day in Burnley’s pre-season as the unlikely turning point in his Clarets career.

Gaffer’s day has earned a reputation among Sean Dyche’s squad for being the most physically demanding of the summer as the Turf Moor chief puts his players through their paces.

So for a man who didn’t complete 90 minutes in the Premier League last season it seems an unusual moment for Defour to realise he could have a second chance with Burnley having been linked with a Turf exit for most of the summer.

Defour believes pre-season, which he missed last summer after signing for Burnley once the campaign was underway, has been crucial in bringing him up to speed for the rigours of Premier League football.

“It’s weird because he (Dyche) said to me at the end of the season, just do the pre-season and we can always see what happens,” he said.

“I did it, and maybe that’s what I missed last time, a good pre-season, a Burnley pre-season,- which is different -and I’m taking advantage now.”

The Belgium international, who played just 57 minutes for the Clarets from the start of February onwards last term, surpassed expectations as pre-season turned physical.

He has since taken that fitness onto the pitch and has been one of Burnley’s stand-out performers this season, missing just 35 minutes in the opening six Premier League games and completing the full game twice.

Asked if there was a moment during pre-season he felt was a turning point, Defour added: “I think on the gaffer’s day, that was a point, because I got really good numbers, and that’s where he (Dyche) said, ‘look, you can do it’, so it was about showing it on the pitch.

“It was basically two hours of only running, so you don’t see a ball, and then the day after I had a good recovery, and the numbers were high for me.

“It was a good day and I started to realise I can do the job, even in a two man midfield if necessary.

“I think there was a lot of running (during pre-season), but it was never too much, so it was well-planned. It was hard obviously, but I enjoyed it.”

Defour’s adaption to the Premier League and his regular withdrawal in the final 15 minutes of games became a talking point last term.

The 29-year-old insists the decision to bring him off was often tactical, but the former Standard Liege, Porto and Anderlecht man is now happy to do the hard yards as the Clarets try and punch above their weight in the Premier League.

“A lot was said about me doing 90 minutes, at some point it was just tactical,” Defour said.

“But in some ways there needs to be a lot of running because we are Burnley, and we have to be honest with ourselves.

“It is one of our qualities that we are physically going 90 minutes and over. Even the top teams do it now,, the game never stops.”