Former Burnley defender Jordan sharpens his elbows for Rodriguez battle

The young Burnley striker might look like butter wouldn’t melt and be of a quiet demeanour off the pitch, but ex-Claret Jordan revealed he is a different animal on it.

“He always used to kick me and elbow me all the time in training,” said the former Manchester City defender, who marked Rodriguez many times at Gawthorpe.

And as he’s likely to be in direct opposition to the 21-year-old at Bramall Lane this afternoon, Jordan’s getting prepared.

“I might have to give him a bit back!”, laughed the 28-year-old, who was surprised to hear he could go head to head with the currently right-sided Rodriguez today. But it came as no shock that his former team-mate, who has kept his place in the side since replacing the injured Ross Wallace five games ago, is starting to make his impression on the first team.

“I’m really made up for him,” enthused Jordan, who made 83 appearances for the Clarets.

“He is a great lad - a lovely lad - who deserves everything he gets because he works hard.

“Jay’s got a bit of everything. He’s pretty quick, strong and good in the air.

“He could play in the Premier League. Definitely.

“His path was blocked a little last year because they brought David Nugent in on loan (after signing Scotland striker Steven Fletcher from Hibernian).

“I suppose it’s easier to blood the younger ones in a lower division.

“But as long as I’ve known Jay he’s trained with the first team and, as far as I was concerned, he was a first team player.”

Rodriguez had just been promoted from apprentice to senior under Steve Cotterill when Jordan arrived on a free transfer from City.

The Warrington-born left back fully expected to extend his three-year spell at Turf Moor this summer after being offered a new deal a month before the season ended, only to find out, following the final day win over Spurs, that the offer had been withdrawn.

Burnley boss Brian Laws said: “We had to make changes and we couldn’t guarantee Stephen Jordan games.

“At one stage we were almost committed to keeping him at the club, but in the last period of the season we evaluated things. He would want to play games, and I think that’s important for him as much as anything else. That’s why we decided to withdraw any offers.

“Whilst he would be disappointed, he has gone into a very good club in Sheffield United.

“He is a good player, and he will be wound up for this game just as much as anyone else.”

Jordan was stunned by his Turf Moor exit, but remains philosophical.

“It was a bit of a strange one,” he said.

“It was a big shock really because I would have liked to have stayed, but that’s the way it goes.

“I had all of the summer to look for something else, but it would have been nice to have a bit more notice and get a head start.”

Jordan was united with former boss Steve Cotterill and last season’s loan star Nugent during a trial at Portsmouth in the summer, which included a two week tour of America. But although the stint was brief, because Pompey were operating under a transfer embargo at the time, there was still plenty of drama.

“It was great to go on tour to America again, but in 14 days we had 12 flights, and a lot of them were cancelled first time around,” he said.

“Every time we seemed to go to Chicago for our connecting flights backwards and forwards it was thundering and lightning and we couldn’t fly. There were two or three times we ended up in a hotel overnight waiting to go the next day.

“Steve was going to sign me but things took a while because of the embargo, and in the meantime Sheffield United came in and, to be honest, that was a better move for me in the fact that I could stay close to home,” continued the Warrington-born defender.

“Sheffield United’s a sleeping giant. But I guess you could say that about 10 to 15 teams in the Championship these days. There are some big teams in the division now and a lot who think they have a change of going up.”

Jordan includes former employers, Burnley, among that batch.

His feet were in the Clarets’ camp the last time these teams met, in the Championship play-off final at Wembley in May 2009. And although Jordan was wearing the club suit rather than his number 23 shirt that day, it not only remains the highlight of his career so far, but he regards the three years he served at Turf Moor as his happiest time in football.

“Even though I played for Manchester City - my boyhood team - my three years at Burnley were the best years of my football career by a mile,” he said.

“Obviously being part of a promotion team was a big factor in that, but there was something special with the lads there too.

“I was speaking to Robbie Blake the other day and he was saying we will probably never get that again.

“Then there was the year in the Premier League, which was unbelievable. Even though we went down in the end it was still brilliant to be part of that season.

“The team’s better equipped now than when we did it. There is more financial backing for them to bring in more players.”

But while his current club are in the bottom half rather than close to the top after 10 games, Jordan wouldn’t rule out a Wembley re-match.

“There’s a good chance,” he said.

“Both teams have aspirations to go up.

“Burnley were the better team and deserved to go up last time.

“It was strange because I didn’t play, but it was still probably the best day of my football career.

“Even though I didn’t play I was part of it and I played up to it.

“Hopefully if there is a re-match I can be on the winning team again.”