THE road back to the Premier League has been long and arduous for Danny Fox, but the Burnley new boy always believed he would return to the top flight one day.

Being released by boyhood club Everton would have been enough to crush many a teenager.

The verdict, however diplomatically David Moyes put it, was that Fox did not have the ability for the Premier League.

But the left back knew otherwise, and almost five years later – after climbing the ladder again via Walsall, Coventry and Celtic – he finally has the chance to prove it after joining the Clarets for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around £1.8m.

It is a triumph for self-belief, and an emotional hinterland that suggests Fox will not be willing to give up Burnley’s place in the top flight without a fight.

“I’d always wanted to play in the Premier League,” said Fox, now 23.

“When you get let go by a Premier League team, they obviously don’t think you’re good enough to play in the Premier League.

“It’s good to maybe not prove people wrong as such but just prove to yourself that you are good enough. I’ve got the opportunity to do that here now.

“I always believed that I was good enough and it’s taken me five or six years to get back to the Premier League, but it’s been well worth it.

“I don’t want to just be here for three or four months now.

“I want to play as many games as I can in the Premier League, so for us to stay up would be a great achievement.”

Fox, who can also play on the left side of midfield, has been recovering from a groin problem since playing his last game for Celtic at the start of January.

After 23 appearances for the Hoops since joining in the summer, he admits he was surprised that Tony Mowbray opted to sell him.

“It did come as a shock but if you look at the amount of players that have gone out of the door at Celtic in January, it’s common knowledge they needed to sell before they could buy,” he said.

“It’s a good deal for them and for me. There’s no bad feelings between me and the manager.

“I wouldn’t say it didn’t work out there because I got on with all the boys, got used to the way they played and living in Glasgow.

“But coming here was a no brainer of a decision to be honest. This is the best league in the world.”