SEAN DYCHE has hailed Jeff Hendrick’s impact in Burnley’s record-breaking 2017-18 campaign.
Appearing on The Coaches’ Voice, the recently appointed Everton boss described how adjusting Hendrick’s position helped the Clarets secure a seventh place Premier League finish and Europa League qualification.
Dyche believed deploying the Irishman behind either Ashley Barnes or Chris Wood added unpredictability to his tried and tested 4-4-2.
He explained: “Jeff had a real good engine, a real eye for arriving in the box.
“In my opinion, he could have got more goals, but he was creative in the way that he pressed and in the runs he’d make, almost causing a discomfort for them even [while] having the ball in an attacking format.
“It was slightly different for us, people weren’t familiar with it.”
Hendrick enjoyed two further seasons under Dyche, before moving to Newcastle in 2020.
Having joined Reading on loan last summer, the midfielder has gone on to start all but one league game this term – only missing last Friday’s trip to Cardiff through illness.
Of Hendrick, Royals manager Paul Ince said: “You know what you get with Jeff. I think he is one you can trust; he will give you six or seven out of 10. He’s not a glamorous player but he does what it says on the tin.
“The lads love him, he trains like a demon every day. I like professional players, and he’s one you can trust.
“Sometimes you don’t pick the most talented, it’s the ones you can trust week-in and week-out. Jeff’s one of those.
“One thing about him is that if he can add goals to his game then you have a very good player.”
The Irish international has risen to both Dyche and Ince’s challenges, scoring three in his past five Championship appearances. His tally for the season (four) is his most prolific in eight years.
