Burnley defender Kevin Long has admitted that he is relieved his patience paid off after earning a new two-year contract with the Championship club.
Long had to wait two years to feature in the senior squad at Turf Moor, but after loan spells with Accrington Stanley, Rochdale and Portsmouth, the Irish centre-back has revealed that he never lost belief in his own ability.
The 22-year-old told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I've been waiting a long time to get in the starting XI. I'm delighted to be playing at the moment and hopefully we can start picking up a few results now.
"When you're not playing and you're always going out on loan, there's always that doubt [you will not break into the team], but I was confident in my own ability that if I did well out on loan, and performed well when I came back, I'd get my chance.
"I needed all the loan spells. Every one has made me a better player. I think it made me stronger mentally and physically. I had to get used to the pace of the game, because I'd only played a handful of games in Ireland, so I was very raw when I came over."
Long has made five appearances for Burnley in the Championship this season.
Darren Plant
