ICELAND might be bearing the brunt of the global economic crisis, but Akranes-born Joey Gudjonsson’s stock is rising.

The enthusiastic midfielder has featured in all 15 league and cup games so far this season; a far cry from this time last year when he had fallen out of favour with the manager who signed him in January 2007, Steve Cotterill.

It is a happier tale 12 months on from that first-team exile.

Gudjonsson made his first appearance for two months in Owen Coyle’s Clarets debut, when he came off the bench for the final 10 minutes in the Stoke City stalemate.

His next outing followed three days later, against Watford at Vicarage Road. The midfield man had a full half on the pitch, and made the most of it by breaking his Burnley duck with an excellent 81st-minute winner, before playing his part in back-to-back wins in the capital at today’s opponents, Charlton Athletic.

“Ever since (Coyle) took over, things have started to brighten up for me,” said, Gudjonsson who made his 50th league appearance for Burnley in the 1-1 draw with Birmingham last Saturday.

“Gradually, my chances in the team have come around and hopefully I will keep on progressing with the team because I feel we are making great strides forward.

“The style of play the gaffer wants us to play pushes us in the right direction.

“The more attacking players can express themselves well and although we still are a strong unit, we are playing some good stuff.

“That really helps the whole atmosphere around the football club.

“The fans are coming to watch and enjoying it and we enjoy the attacking football, so we are all benefiting.”

Gudjonsson is also revelling in being given a licence to shoot by boss Coyle, and has already doubled his tally from last term with strikes against Swansea and Preston.

“Joey’s enjoying the freedom we’re giving him to go and join in with the strikers,” said the Clarets boss.

“The one thing that we know is that he’s capable of scoring goals. His goal (against Preston) was top class. If that was scored anywhere in the world people would be raving about it, so we’re encouraging him to get forward and long may that continue.

“On a daily basis we encourage Joey, when he’s in range, to let his shot go. We know there’ll be times when it lands in Row Z, but we also know that when he catches it properly it’s going to land in the top corner.

“I think it’s given players an encouragement.”

After already setting the standard in the goal of the season category with his screamer in the 3-1 win over North End, which took an unstoppable dip to leave Andy Lonergan flat-footed, Gudjonsson added: “Since the age of 15, I have been working on my shooting.

“I knew I had some power and I found I could make the ball dip as well.

“It’s a technique I have tried to develop by practising and thankfully it worked out in a big game like Preston.

“It makes it quite difficult for the goalkeepers to react because the ball moves so much in the air.

“You need every weapon you can have in your armoury and it’s one I’m happy to have in mine.

“It was a great feeling to get my first goal at Turf Moor, and the fact it was a special goal against a local rival made it all the sweeter.

“It’s definitely the best goal I have scored for Burnley.”

Hopefully, it won’t be the last. But Gudjonsson insists, while he loves to score, his key focus is keeping his place in the side.

“When you are playing week in and week out, the goals are a by-product and hopefully I will just carry on playing well and get more goals,” he said.

“I tried really hard in pre-season to do all the manager was asking of me and then, when I got the chance, I tried to grab it.

“There is such strong competition for places in the centre of the park, so when you do get a chance it is so important to keep it.

“I feel I’ve been playing well since I broke up the young partnership between Kevin (McDonald) and Chris McCann.

“They are both good players and hopefully they will both still be playing for Burnley long after I have gone.

“But for now, we all have to keep going and focusing on Burnley doing well, whoever has the shirt.

“I’ll be no different if they are selected and I know Kevin has been fully supportive since his injury.

“We just have to keep going in the same direction. The gaffer has said that whoever comes in, he will have a role to play and that’s fair to everyone.”