THREE points are Brian Jensen’s number one motivation when Burnley begin their Premier League adventure tomorrow, but the goalkeeper admits international recognition would be a nice bonus.

The Clarets’ longest serving current player was at the peak of his powers last season, as 21 clean sheets in 60 consecutive appearances culminated in a Carling Cup semi-final and promotion via the play-offs.

Yet there was never a hint of him edging towards the Denmark reckoning.

Head coach Morten Olsen was invited to Turf Moor, but to Jensen’s knowledge he never appeared.

However, the 34-year-old hopes Burnley’s return to the top flight will make him harder to ignore, especially considering that Danish number one Thomas Sorensen is guarding the opposite goal tomorrow.

“We spoke to Denmark last year and they said just because you have a good run in cup games doesn’t mean you’re good enough, so we said it would be nice if they came over to look at me,” he said.

“But they won’t have to come all the way over here to watch games, because we’ll be on TV every single week.

"We’ll be on Match of the Day - probably the last five minutes - but we’re there.

“I don’t really think about Denmark though. The window is open now, but I need to prove to them I’m good enough.

“Thomas Sorensen is number one, but I need to do well for Burnley and we’ll see what happens.”

The countrymen are acquaintances. “I know Thomas. I’ve been out with him a few times,” said Jensen.

“A few years ago we had a Christmas night out with all the Danish players and wives. He’s a nice guy.”

But the two will be firm foes tomorrow.

Stoke v Burnley perhaps isn’t the mouthwatering tie the Clarets were hoping for in their Premier League bow, having played them twice in the Potters’ promotion season of 2007/08.

But Jensen insists they don’t come much tougher.

“It doesn’t matter if our first game was Stoke, Manchester United or Everton.

"At the end of the day we know we’re up against quality sides, but you’re probably asking me this because you think that Stoke are going to be one of the teams down at the bottom.

“Lots of people are talking about this being a six-pointer, but at the end of the day we’ve played against Stoke there a few times and we’ve actually done quite well down there.

"If we can replicate that and we can stand up to their six foot fives and unbelievable throws then we’ve got a chance.

"But we know it’s going to be a tough task and they’re a good quality side, but we’ve done it before against Stoke City so why shouldn’t we be able to do it again.”

You won’t find him losing much sleep over Rory Delap’s well-documented long throw-ins either.

“It’s not really rocket science,” he said, before admitting: “I would rather kick it out for a corner than a throw though!

“It is a tough task (at Stoke) and we know what Rory Delap is capable of, but we are a big, tough and strong side as well, so it’s going to be a tester.”

Jensen baulks at the notion that Burnley are relegation fodder.

“I don’t care who writes us off, I’m in the best league in the world,” he retorts, before revealing his fears for what might have been had Burnley not beaten Sheffield United in May’s play-off final.

“There was so much at stake, it’s hard to describe. You’re there at the best ground in the world, playing to get into the Premier League, and if we had lost, it would have been more devastating than the Tottenham game.

“I don’t know if this team could have dealt with that twice, it would have been a kick in the ‘beep’,” admitted Jensen, self-censoring his sentence.

Thankfully, he will never know the outcome to that ‘what if’ scenario. Instead, he is looking forward with gusto.

“Hopefully we can make more history,” he beamed.

“We’ve got the pictures and everything from Wembley, and it’s something to look back on, when I’m older; showing your kids - even though they were there - or grandkids.

“But it’s just about the Premier League now.

“We’re in the best league in the world, and the only thing we want to do is stay there, at the top level.”