CLARETS loanee Georges-Kevin Nkoudou was delighted to see his hard work rewarded as he made the first Premier League start of his career.

The 23-year-old was the beneficiary of the calf injury that sidelined Johann Berg Gudmundsson at West Brom on Saturday and he admitted that his first start was a 'big moment' for him.

Nkoudou joined Tottenham for £11million from Marseille in the summer of 2016 but after nine substitute appearances in the league for Spurs he moved to Turf Moor in January, adding competition for places in wide areas following the season-ending injury to Robbie Brady.

The Versailles-born winger has come off the bench four times for Burnley before his first start in the English top flight at the Hawthorns.

"I'm very happy because it's my first start in the Premier League. Even at Tottenham I never started so I'm very happy. I want to carry on like this," Nkoudou said.

"It's been a long (wait) but I never gave up. In training I've worked hard to get my first start in the Premier League so I'm very happy.

"As a football player you wait for this moment. It's a big moment. It's an achievement to get that start and that position on the pitch. It's a good moment to start in the Premier League, in any league.

"I want it to stay like this. I was happy, I think I've trained well, I never give up, I've worked hard for this moment. I'll stay like that and even if I don't start again I've enjoyed that moment."

Nkoudou helped the Clarets to a third successive Premier League win, with Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood on the scoresheet in the 2-1 win.

That success maintained Burnley's grip on seventh place but Nkoduou, who played in the Europa League with Marseille and the Champions League with Tottenham, is refusing to get carried away with thoughts of continental qualification.

"We'll see. I can't speak about Europe just now so we'll just have to wait and see at the end of the season whether we'll be playing in Europe or not," he said.

Of the win at the Hawthorns, Nkoudou added: "We've worked well in training towards this game.

"We spoke before the game and we came here to play well and return home with the three points. That was the most important thing so everybody is very happy."