BRIAN Jensen can lay claim to being Burnley's bionic man.

The 6ft 4in Dane will be the formidable last line of the Clarets defence this season after battling back from a series of foot fractures that wrecked his West Brom career.

Jensen, 28, has since had metal plates and pins inserted into his kicking foot to aid a full recovery.

And after a year without any further problems, the former Albion stopper is looking to put his best foot forward again and give Stan Ternent's side a leg up the Nationwide League.

Jensen, who frustratingly found himself cast into the shadows at the Hawthorns for two seasons following the signing of Russell Hoult, said: "We were supposed to fight for the shirt three years ago, but in pre-season I broke my foot and during that season I broke it four more times.

"It was not healing properly, but I was still on the bench 33 more times, so it was a bit of an achievement.

"Those injuries ruined things for me at a time when Russell and I were at the same level, but now I'm back!

"I haven't had a problem now for over a year. I had pins and plates put in my left foot and the doctors said I could either leave them in until the end of my career, or have them removed. That's probably why I kick the ball so far!"

Jensen cuts a mean figure close up and it's impossible not to agree with Clarets boss Ternent's assessment that he has a "real presence" about him.

Cut from the same piece of granite as Danish legend Peter Schmeichel, he even plans to follow in his footsteps by giving Burnley's new-look defence earache on a regular basis.

He said: "Peter is definitely my hero. He's the same type of goalkeeper to me, although maybe he has a bigger mouth. But I'll be seeing if I can compete with him, that's for sure!"

Jensen clearly feels has something to prove after spending years in the wilderness under Baggies boss Gary Megson.

And he certainly won't have long to wait to exact his revenge as the Clarets travel to Albion for a live TV game on the second weekend of the season.

It's something that didn't go unnoticed in the Jensen household once his move north was sealed.

He said: "I had a sneaky little look on the Internet to see when I was back at West Brom.

"They know I'm coming back soon, I know and the Burnley fans all know, so I'm ready for it.

"I've been playing a lot of reserve football and trying to keep in shape. That's the only thing I could do really because when Russell came in, he went to keep a record number of clean sheets and I couldn't argue with that.

"I'm here now to try and get my career going again and it will be a bit of a challenge because I know all about the defensive problems the club had last season.

"But I am here to do my best and try to see if I can beat that record for clean sheets.

"If I do that, hopefully the international scene is still a possibility. The current national keeper, Thomas Sorensen, is now playing at the same level in Division One, so it is in the back of my mind.

"But first I have to do well for Burnley and that is the priority."