Burnley capitalised on Bristol City situation to secure superb free transfer: View | OneFootball

Burnley have been a side that has bounced from the Premier League to the Championship and back in recent seasons, meaning they have had a high turnover of players.

Some of these players have been great acquisitions for the Clarets and are remembered fondly by the supporters even to this day, while others didn’t fare very well and were easily forgotten.

One player who isn’t and won’t be forgotten about by Burnley fans is goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who turned out to be a fantastic signing for the Lancashire side when he joined the club in 2013.

Heaton has had a very impressive and long football career, but it could be argued that his best time came when he was at Turf Moor.

Burnley signed Tom Heaton on a free transfer in 2013

Tom Heaton started his football career at Manchester United, but much of his time at Old Trafford was spent on loan at various other clubs.

In 2010, he left the Red Devils to join Cardiff City, and he played for the Bluebirds for two seasons before leaving to join Bristol City on a free transfer.

The 38-year-old spent a single season at Ashton Gate, during which time he played 43 Championship games, conceding 77 goals and keeping six clean sheets.

It was only one season with the Robins, as in the 2013 summer, Heaton joined Burnley on a free transfer.

Heaton’s time at Bristol City could have been longer, as it’s since been revealed that the goalkeeper was offered fresh terms to extend his one-year contract, but Heaton decided to move on and join the Clarets.

Heaton left the Robins that summer after the club finished bottom of the Championship table, meaning joining Burnley meant he stayed in the second tier.

It would be a move that would go on to take the goalkeeper’s game to a new level, as he flourished at the Lancashire club.

Tom Heaton was a superb free transfer signing for Burnley

When Tom Heaton joined Burnley in 2013, the goalkeeper already had 91 Championship appearances to his name.

The Clarets signed the 38-year-old when they were in the second tier, and once he joined, it was a match made in heaven, as Heaton was so impressive for the club over a number of years.

In his first season at the club, Heaton played in all 46 league games, conceding just 36 goals and keeping an impressive 19 clean sheets.

The shotstopper played such an important role in the Clarets sealing second spot and automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Even in the top flight, Heaton continued to perform well in between the sticks, as he played in every single league game, conceding 53 goals and keeping a respectable 10 clean sheets.

Heaton was unable to prevent the club from being relegated that season, but in the 2015/16 season, Burnley were able to bounce back at the first time of asking, and in fact, it was statistically Heaton’s best season in a Burnley shirt.

That campaign, Heaton played in all 46 league games, playing 4,140 minutes of football. The goalkeeper conceded just 35 goals that season, which was an average of 0.76 per 90 minutes.

Furthermore, in that entire season, Heaton made 145 saves, which meant he had a save percentage rate of 80.6%.

Burnley lost just five games in that 2015/16 campaign, as Heaton was able to keep 20 clean sheets, which is the best he has achieved in his career, and it helped Burnley finish in first place, as per Fbref.com.

Heaton was at Turf Moor for six years, and while towards the end of his time at the club, he started to lose his place in the team, but overall he was a fantastic addition for Burnley.

He was able to perform at a top level, whether it be in the Championship or the Premier League, and at times Burnley had him to thank for them winning games or staying in the top flight.

His performances didn’t go unnoticed, as he eventually won three international caps for England, and even though he hasn’t been able to play as much as he would have liked towards the end of his football career, his time at Burnley will always be fondly remembered.

Out of all the transfer deals the club has done, not many will be able to beat Burnley signing Heaton on a free transfer, given what he was able to achieve with the club.