IT was in July when Scott Arfield returned to his car and found that some of his most prized possessions had been stolen. To his relief, the thieves had snubbed the medal that meant the most.

While shirts were taken along with his play-off winners’ medal from his time at Huddersfield Town in League One, Arfield’s promotion medal with Burnley remained unscathed.

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“They left that, they weren’t interested in that!” he laughs now, able to have a sense of humour about an incident that upset him greatly at the time.

But it is his Championship runners up medal with the Clarets that is the reminder of how he earned the right to be a Premier League player, for the first time in his career.

It is dear to his heart.

“I was quite surprised they didn’t take that,” he admits.

“I was more than happy that if they were going to miss something they were going to leave that one, so I’ve still got that one.

“But they took the Huddersfield medal, the Huddersfield strip and a Burnley strip.

“The shirt was signed and I was going to get them all framed the next day, so I put them in the car the night before and put something over them.

“It was just at home in Huddersfield. I was trying to get the shirt framed for somebody in Burnley.

“It’s a sentimental factor, it means more to me than anyone else so it was quite upsetting when that happened.

“The police are aware of it and they’re still trying to get them.

“I’m trying to get the shirts re-done and I’ve spoken to the PFA to try to get a replica medal.

“I don’t think it’s ever going to turn up. It was unfortunate but I’m sure we’ll get something sorted.

“That’s life, you move on.”

It is an approach that Arfield transfers to the football field too. There have been setbacks this season – Burnley sit bottom of the Premier League table after failing to win any of their first nine matches.

The 25-year-old has impressed with his own performances, scoring a superb goal against Chelsea in the season opener, although he did suffer the disappointment of a missed penalty late in the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.

But the Scot is determined to look forward and remain positive.

Despite recent results, he is still realising a dream by playing in the top flight.

“Personally I’ve been loving it,” Arfield says. “Obviously you don’t like losing, it’s in your DNA not to lose games.

“But as a step up from the Championship it’s been fantastic.

“It’s just the win we’re dying to get. We were no under no illusions how difficult this league was going to be, it’s just that elusive win.

“The belief isn’t going to change for any game. It didn’t change last season and it’s definitely not going to change now.”

Arfield knows the size of the task facing the Clarets this week at the Emirates against Arsenal, who could hand a first appearance in nine months to Theo Walcott after a serious knee injury.

But the Gunners could only draw at home to Hull City last weekend, and have not won a league game at the Emirates since the opening day of the season.

“When you go there you need to stick to a game plan,” Arfield said.

“We know how good they are and what quality they possess as a team and individually as well.

“But I think if you stick to a game plan, stay compact and stay in the game, then you never know what can happen.

“There’s a league within a league and you can go through certain games and say this is where you’re going to pick up points, but it doesn’t always happen like that.

“That’s why you need to look at every game as the exact same.

“It’s 11 v 11 and you’ve got to try to get that elusive win that we need.”

Arfield is likely to move back to the flank tomorrow after taking a central midfield role in the absence of Dean Marney, who is now back from a hamstring injury.

Arfield’s health seemed to take a turn for the worse a fortnight ago when he was sick on the pitch just after half time in the 3-1 home loss to West Ham United, although he insists there were no ill effects.

“I just took too much fluid at half time, it was nothing big whatsoever,” he said.

“It was just too much fluids and as soon as I was sick I felt brilliant and I was ready to go!

“There was no effect on performance whatsoever, but it was a bit different.”

Now he has his sights on adding to his own goal tally.

“I’m dying to do that,” he said.

“Last season I got nine I think and I got off the mark in the first game this season, then if the penalty at Palace went in I was up to two already.

“It’s a personal thing. You try to score as many goals as you can to help your team-mates out.”