Clarets star Arthur Gnohere is 23 today and the fact that his team is currently flying high at the top of the first division is the best present he could have hoped for.

The big French defender has been a key factor in the run that has seen Burnley take ten points out of 12, keep three clean sheets in four games and roar back to first spot.

And there is no bigger tribute for the man who joined from French club Caen in the summer than to say that the absence of the massive presence of skipper Steve Davis has not been noticed.

In fact when Davis is fit, possibly for Friday night's match with Grimsby Town at Turf Moor, the manager will have the type of selection dilemma that all bosses like, players fighting for a place in the side.

Gnohere made no secret of his desire to play in the top flight when he arrived at Turf Moor and he is confident that he can do that with Burnley.

He has been praised by his team mates, his coaches and the manager while the fans have taken him to their hearts.

As manager Stan Ternent admitted: "He is already a cult figure, the fans seem to love him."

Gnohere has been used reasonably sparingly by Ternent throughout the campaign although he has now got 11 league starts under his belt.

The manager was well aware of the player's potential but also knew that it would take the young man some time to settle into English football.

But twice, against Rotherham United and against Portsmouth, he has been voted the Clarets man of the match and he has clearly relished the rough and tumble of the first division.

That match against the Millers was his first start in the league side and his current run of four successive games is his longest.

He has made a couple of appearances for the reserves although his last outing at that level was a rare low point for the Frenchman as he was dismissed for two bookable offences at Barnsley.

In general his move to East Lancashire has been a smooth one as he has moved out of a hotel and settled into a new home with his partner and their young baby, born as Gnohere was making the move to Burnley.

Opposing sides have certainly been forced to take note of Gnohere - and not just the strikers!

While he has been strong at the back he has also provided a strong attacking threat with his powerful surges upfield.

It is that side of his game that manages to put the fans on the edge of their seats although there were a couple of occasions against Coventry on Saturday when he was nearly undone by his derring-do.

Ternent spoke at the weekend about the need for any player he signs to be versatile and capable of filling a number of roles. That certainly applies to Gnohere.

He has said he is happiest on the left side as a centre back, the position he has filled alongside Ian Cox in recent games, but he can also play in a back three, as a man marker, left back or left wing back.

But he is clearly happy at Turf Moor and ready to pay anywhere that his manager asks him to.

And if he and his team mates can maintain their current form, perhaps his 24th birthday will be as a player in the Premiership.