Football League World
·8 July 2024
Burnley: Nathan Tella sends message to Johann Berg Gudmundsson after shock U-Turn
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Football League World
·8 July 2024
The Icelandic winger has extended his time in East Lancashire
Former Burnley loanee Nathan Tella has reacted to the news of Clarets favourite Johann Berg Gudmundsson extending his time with the Lancashire outfit.
This summer has seen a mass cloud of uncertainty appear over Turf Moor for a long period following relegation from the Premier League to the Championship after a solitary season.
However, clarity looks to be the buzzword for the supporters now as the club have appointedScott Parker - a previous second tier promotion-winner with Fulham and AFC Bournemouth - to replace Vincent Kompany after the Belgian's surprise departure to Bayern Munich in May, and one of the first decisions of his tenure was to oversee a fresh update concerning the Icelandic winger.
Under Kompany's management, the aforementioned Tella played a starring role in Burnley's title-winning campaign two seasons ago whilst on loan from Southampton.
Since then, he's gone on to win the Bundesliga in an unbeaten season under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen after departing St Mary's last August. But, the Stevenage-born ace hasn't forgotten the contribution which the East Lancashire club have made to his overall development, showcased in his message to Gudmundsson via Instagram.
To mark his return to the club, Gudmundsson posted the caption "Back where i belong! Thanks for all the amazing messages. Looking forward to seeing you all back at Turf Moor 🔥"
Among the likes of full-back Connor Roberts in the replies to the Iceland international's post was Tella, who referenced an iconic Wolf of Wall Street quote, with the simple response of "IM NOT LEAVING 🐐"
Furthermore, a club statement following the news confirmed that Gudmundsson has signed a fresh one-year deal with the club after initially departing alongside the likes of Jack Cork and Charlie Taylor via the 'Retained List', which was submitted on May 21st.
However, an impromptu meeting with chairman Alan Pace is what's said to have got this new deal in motion ahead of the new season.
“I was on the same flight from Amsterdam as Alan Pace and we had a good conversation about the club and what we could do to get it back in to the Premier League where it belongs, and here I am, signing again as a Burnley player," the 33-year-old told official club media.
“I’ve also spoken with the new manager and I just want to help this team to get back to the Premier League," he added.
“It’s going to be hard. The Championship is extremely hard. But the talent we have in this squad, the experience we have in this squad we can look at this season in a positive way."
Gudmundsson, who had previously made 227 appearances for Burnley after joining from Charlton Athletic in 2016, concluded by stating: “We know we've got to work hard. It’s not enough to have talent in this league. You have to work hard every day, every game, and that’s why I’m here to make sure that’s what we’re going to do.”
As someone who is experienced in gaining promotion from the second tier to the top flight, this short-term signing is extremely shrewd by Parker, whose teams at Craven Cottage and the Vitality Stadium consisted of a strong mix of both experience and exuberance, which can definitely be said for this Burnley squad.
Gudmundsson made 26 appearances - 12 of which were starts - last season in the Premier League, as well as making 37 appearances and 23 starts the last time the Clarets were at this level, netting four times.
Although he may not start every single game, there are far worse options than what Burnley have pursued here, with the 93-time international taking no time at all to get used to the environment and the rigours of the Championship, as his side look to bounce back at the first time of asking once again.
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