JEFF Hendrick believes he has grown in confidence during his first Premier League season with Burnley as he settles into life at Turf Moor.

The 24-year-old was a club record signing for the Clarets back in August as he made the £10million switch from Derby County and he has been a fixture in the side, aside from a recent three-game suspension for a red card at Watford.

Now Hendrick is aiming to step up for his country as they face a crucial World Cup qualifier with Wales in Dublin on Friday night.

“I’m enjoying my time at club level, I’m playing a lot,” he said.

“I’m playing against big teams, big players. It’s a good challenge for me every week playing in those sort of games, and it’s like I’ve said with the last few years with Ireland, when I’ve been playing in these games, it’s great to test myself against players like these and I’m not the type of player who gets nervous going into these games. I look forward to it and I try to do my best.

“I really do feel like I’ve grown as the games have gone on and I feel like my confidence has gone up and I think I’m better each game.

“I feel like I’m stamping my own style on games at times so I just need to continue to do that.”

Hendrick will face a strong Welsh midfield at the Aviva Stadium and he is likely to partner James McCarthy in the middle, with Harry Arter and Wes Hoolahan out.

“Anyone who is selected has to make sure they are ready to put in a performance, to give it everything," he said.

"Players who are in attacking positions, we do need them to create and hopefully score a few goals, but it's about the whole team working together, that's the main thing.

"They’re all top players [in reference to Wales]. It isn’t just Bale, they have a strong midfield, a strong attacking line and defence as well. We’ve just got to analyse them, watch videos on them and try exploit a few of their weaknesses."