FORMER Burnley midfielder Steven Defour says his time at Turf Moor was the highlight of his playing career.

Defour joined the Clarets from Anderlecht in the summer of 2016 and went on to become a fan favourite in East Lancashire.

However, the midfielder's time in the Premier League was impacted by injury and he left the club by mutual consent three years later.

Defour announced his retirement last year and is now an assistant coach at Belgian club KV Mechelen.

He returned to Turf Moor last week to work with Sean Dyche and company as he continues his development as a coach.

“It felt like coming home. I still know three quarters of the people there from my period as a player," he told Het Laatste Nieuws.

“Sean Dyche allowed me to follow everything. I attended staff meetings, participated in the preparation for the duels against Man United and Liverpool. I learned a lot.

"Burnley was the best period of my playing career. Both in sports and privately. The fans appreciate me there.

"I have always kept in touch with the coach. I regularly sent Dyche a message before a match. ‘Good luck, gaffer'.

“Last June, just before I started the season at KV Mechelen as an assistant, he proposed to participate in the preparation in Burnley and then see what was possible, but that was difficult due to the Covid restrictions."

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