Burnley FC will hope a Jay Rodriguez 2.0 emerges at Turf Moor soon: View | OneFootball

His career with the Clarets will undoubtedly write him into the Turf Moor history books

Jay Rodriguez has given Burnley a good chunk of his career and created some memorable moments at Turf Moor.

A local lad, Rodriguez rose through the academy system at Burnley and went on to establish himself as a first-team regular.

So well-liked was the forward at Burnley that he returned for a second spell at a substantial cost.

The Clarets will hope a similar prospect is lurking in their youth ranks today, as it could save the club a lot of money.

Rodriguez established himself at his hometown club

Despite already having made his Burnley debut before going out on loan, Rodriguez cut his teeth in a gruelling loan spell with Scottish side Stirling.

But it was the 2010/11 season, with the Clarets back in the Championship following a flirtation with the top flight, that he made a name for himself at Turf Moor.

The striker made 42 Championship appearances that term, plundering 14 goals and providing a further seven assists, taking his combined goal involvements to over 20.

He achieved the same feat the season after and, with Burnley staying in the second flight, it was time for Rodriguez to test himself at the highest level.

He was worth the money for his second spell

The Clarets bagged £7million from Rodriguez’s move to Southampton in the summer of 2012, a substantial fee for a player who had yet to play above the Championship.

He went on to establish himself as a capable Premier League striker, first with the Saints and later with West Bromwich Albion.

The forward had made such a strong impression at Turf Moor and in his career after leaving the club, that Burnley decided to rekindle their bond with Rodriguez in 2019, splashing £10million on the striker.

At a more advanced stage in his career, the striker would never quite hit the heights of those first two full seasons with the Clarets, but he nevertheless managed to make a strong impact, and the money spent on his transfer fee certainly did not go to waste.

Taking into account his initial switch away from the club, Burnley spent around £3 million in transfer fees on Rodriguez throughout his career.

If they could find the next Rodriguez lurking in their academy, and manage to hold on to him, then they could save themselves a substantial sum of money.

Burnley fans may hold one slight regret

There is no doubt that Rodriguez is a loved figure at Turf Moor, but his second spell perhaps illustrates a slight regret Burnley fans may hold over his career.

Some may feel that the striker spent his prime years away from his hometown club. Seasons like his 2018/19 campaign with West Brom, where he netted 22 goals and provided six assists, were missed by Clarets fans.

Many will wonder what might have been if Burnley were able to climb to the Premier League at that pivotal moment in Rodriguez’s career when he transferred to Southampton.

Born and raised in the area, it may have allowed him to stay with his hometown club for a greater proportion of his career and wed his story even closer to Burnley.

Regardless, Rodriguez has given so much to Burnley, and he is a well-regarded figure at the club as a result.

If the Clarets can find another player in the mould of Rodriguez in the future, they’ll certainly be on to a winner.