£3 million Burnley midfielder has been "pivotal" since his 2022 arrival | OneFootball

Cullen joined the Clarets from Anderlecht, and has gone on to play over 75 times for the club.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

It can be said that, in recent times, Burnley have struggled to make the correct decisions in the transfer market, but, two years ago, they found a bargain in the Belgian Pro League.

Josh Cullen, 28, joined the Clarets from Anderlecht in a deal worth close to £3 million plus add-ons, making him one of Vincent Kompany's cheaper signings.

The English-born Republic of Ireland international had played under the Manchester City legend before in Belgium, and was brought to Turf Moor in the same summer that Kompany was.

He played a key role in Burnley's promotion back to the Premier League in his first season, and despite relegation on their return, Cullen was one of the better performing players, featuring 25 times in the top flight.

Now under the guidance of Scott Parker, the 28-year-old is hoping to repeat his form of two seasons ago again, and take the Clarets back up to the upper echelons of English football.

Cullen is one of the most important players at Burnley

Cullen missed a handful of games in the Premier League through injury, but when he returned to the side in a full-time capacity, he was handed the captain's armband as Burnley slowly started to improve in the latter part of the season.

Despite a poor campaign for the club, Cullen was a bright spark, making himself one of the first names on the teamsheet, a trend that looks set to continue under Parker.

FLW's Burnley Fan Pundit, Nathan Rogers, believes that the midfielder has been a key reason behind the club's recent success: "He's just a midfield maestro, in my opinion. He's sort of the heartbeat of the team, he keeps it ticking over. He's a good leader on the pitch, and he's a good leader off the pitch by all accounts.

"The last season we had in the Championship he was pivotal. Anytime we won a game, Cullen was playing, anytime we suffered, whether it was a draw or a defeat, he was missing.

"In the Premier League at the beginning of the season, Kompany didn't fancy him in the midfield, and he shook it up a little bit, and we just really struggled without him.

"Whenever he came back into the squad, our midfield looked better and stronger, it looked more rigid and solid."

Cullen can provide a good fee if he is sold on

Although Cullen has been imperative to this current Burnley team, there is a chance that he is let go of if promotion is not won.

Teams in both the lower half of the Premier League and promotion-chasing rivals in the Championship may be interested if Parker decides to let him go at any point in the near future.

His versatility in midfield is a great part of his game, able to operate in both defensive and central positions in the middle of the park, and after paying such a low amount in 2022, Burnley will be able to accrue a decent proportion and possibly more back.

However, Nathan can see Cullen staying around if the Clarets do have a successful campaign: "Having Cullen in the side is just a no-brainer, and he's quite a pivotal part of the squad.

"For around £3 million, it looks like an absolute bargain for us because I think if he has a good season with us, he'll obviously come back up to the Premier League.

"If we don’t get promoted, we could probably retain quite a nice fee for him if we do look to sell him."