ADE Akinbiyi believes Wade Elliott's new deal has been a major coup for Burnley.

After the winger committed to the club until the summer of 2011 by putting pen to paper last week, manager Owen Coyle said he would have cost the Clarets "£1million plus" on the open market.

Coyle added: "I don't think I'll make a more important signing than Wade Elliott."

And striker Akinbiyi admitted it was as much of a relief to the rest of the squad when Elliott agreed to stay.

"Wade has done tremendously well this season," said the 33-year-old who has had three of his nine goals this season supplied by the former Bournemouth wide man.

"I'm really surprised a lot of teams didn't come in for him - unless they have and it's been kept quiet," said the 33-year-old "I think our manager and chairman have done really well to keep hold of Wade, and he has a massive future.

"As everyone knows already, he's probably our player of the year, he's come on leaps and bounds from when he first came here.

"It was a massive relief when he signed a new deal. Everything seems to have been coming from Wade."

However, with Robbie Blake high up in the assist charts, Akinbiyi was quick to recognise the striker's contribution this term.

"Everyone knows what Blakey can do," he continued.

"I've said all along that he's the key man in the team. When he plays well, the team does. If he doesn't, the team doesn't seem to either."

Akinbiyi returns to his footballing roots this afternoon as Burnley take on Norwich at Carrow Road.

The well-travelled front man began his career there as a teenager, first as a trainee before earning a professional contract in February 1993.

Akinbiyi goes into the game on nine goals in all competitions, and he admitted that all the outfield players were hungry for goals to keep the Clarets in the play-off hunt.

"Everyone's trying to add to their tally at the right time because we've got to push on," he said.

"The league is so tight this season - if you lose a game you think you're out of it, but then win a game and you're just two or three points away. That's how tight it is.

"I think the squad is good enough to push on. We can do it, and we're going to try to do it and see what happens."