HOTSHOT Jay Rodriguez is ready to hit the ground running in pre-season, and is determined to improve on last year.

The Burnley striker shared the club’s ‘Golden Boot’ with winger Chris Eagles after both ended the campaign on 15 goals.

Rodriguez is hoping to better that this term, in what is set up to be his first full season as a first-choice forward.

“I’m ready to go back now. I’m looking forward to Thursday and getting into it again,” said the 21-year-old ahead of the players reporting back to Gawthorpe on Thursday.

“I always look to improve every year.”

Rodriguez will have to go a long way to top a memorable 2010/11 campaign.

Although there was disappointment at missing out on a place in the play-offs and a return trip to Wembley two years after winning promotion to the Premier League, there were individual successes for Rodriguez.

After spending the previous two seasons on the fringes of the first time, the Burnley-born front man was made to bide his time at the start of the season under Brian Laws.

But he got his breakthrough at Crystal Palace after summer signing Ross Wallace limped off in the first half.

Rodriguez grabbed his opportunity and started all bar two of the 44 games after that.

An England Under 21 debut in February was another key moment in the young forward’s fledgling career, although he was to later miss out on the final cut for the European Championship finals in Denmark this month.

However, he refused to get down-hearted.

“I’ve never taken anything for granted,” he said.

“When I was a youth team player I just took it a year at a time. I’ve never expected anything.”

Competition for attacking places is set to hot up in the forthcoming campaign with January signing Charlie Austin and Martin Paterson due back from long-term injuries.

Although manager Eddie Howe has yet to secure his first summer signing, he said: “I’m sure there will be a lot of deals done between now and the start of the season, but whatever happens here we will work with what we’ve got.

“We have a very good, talented squad and players coming back from long-term injuries who will be like new signings for us, so we just need to tweak things a little bit.”