Which of our current team would you want to keep for the next 5 years?

[Dom]

From our current squad, which one player would you want to be at the club for the next 5 years and why.

I'd go for Ben Mee - reliable, brave, intelligent, adaptable and a bloody decent CB.

[MarkGreen]

Sean Dyche

[ClaretTony]

Would have to be Michael Keane for me

[FulledgeClaret]

Heaton Mee Keane are the three I think we would struggle to improve on in the next 5 yr without spending a fortune.

[SonofPog]

Heaton and Keane in 1st team. Mee around the squad.

Haven't seen enough personally of the new midfielders to say which if any of those, some are young enough.

[nil_desperandum]

Without any doubt - Tom Heaton.
Defenders may come and go, but his expertise and leadership behind them should ensure we remain a solid unit.
As a keeper he is also more likely to improve with age and experience, and avoid long term injuries.

[Rick_Muller]

Definitely Tom Heaton

[Lancasterclaret]

Think its got to be Tom Heaton.

[JPS71]

Got to be Tom Heaton, then Ben & Keano

[BleedingClaret]

Dean Marney

[NRC]

As others Heaton, Mee, and Keane. But I would also keep Gray. His ability to receive and shield the ball has improved immensely in the 2nd half of the season, and he is a Vardyesque figure waiting to happen when we complete our transition to a flare team

[jlup1980]

There's quite a few. Heaton, Keane and Mee obviously, but the likes of Brady, Hendrick and Gray should get better and better over the coming years. We have the basis of a very good squad. Let's keep Sean in the hot-seat and back him to bring a few more in.

[Chester Perry]

There's quite a few. Heaton, Keane and Mee obviously, but the likes of Brady, Hendrick and Gray should get better and better over the coming years. We have the basis of a very good squad. Let's keep Sean in the hot-seat and back him to bring a few more in.

all of these plus vokes, barnes, jbg, Lowton and Westwood (could all become squad players rather than starters) especially if Sean stays that long - the DNA of the squad is a huge part of what we have and though it definitely needs to continue to evolve throughout.

Don't let the disruptors try and take us apart in the summer. Teams like Palace and Newcastle know that next season there are too few obvious candidates for relegation and so want to weaken their immediate completion like us and Swansea as they can blow us out of the water on wages (Zaha on £110k, Shelvey on £70k a week anyone).

[paulus the woodgnome]

Defour - it means he'll have been playing )

[lucs86]

I'd say Hendrick. We keep him for the next 5 years he's playing right through his prime, right at the heart of our game. Been really impressed with him this season, playing a difficult role in a system that asks a lot. He's definitley one of our key assets for me.

[Joe14]

Heaton. No explanation required.

[claretspice]

I think we've got to be realistic and see the positive in someone like Keane moving on - its the model for clubs like ours.

I think its vital that we keep a solid core of players who understand the "Burnley way" and can make sure that the ethos that has underpinned our success endures. I'd say therefore, that keeping a core like Heaton, Mee, Arfield and Vokes is absolutely essential. Lowton probably has 5 years in him and I'd be pretty happy if he saw those through with us too. I'd be keen to add Westwood to that too - he strikes me as a player who is very naturally a midtable Premier League player, and ideally suited to the Burnley template.

The key for us is keeping as much of that nucleus of players together as possible, and then supplementing it with players who cost us serious cash but have the potential to turn into even more valuable assets that we can sell on - this is clearly the model with Gray, and Hendrick in particular is probably in a similar mould. Those players add the flair and athleticism to that stable core.

I'd agree that keeping the likes of Hendrick would also be pretty handy, although I'd be delighted if Hendrick hit the heights I think he is capable, even if that means he'll become a big money target for a much bigger club. Brady and Tarkowski might be in a similar bracket, although I think their potential to go to the very top is less overwhelmingly obvious.

[Tall Paul]

George Boyd. Just to see the reaction on here.

[ashtonlongsider]

No brainer-Tom Heaton.

[KRBFC]

Hendrick, Heaton, Brady, Defour, Mee, JBG and Gray. Id say Keane but he's no longer part of the squad in my eyes.

[Duffer_]

I think its vital that we keep a solid core of players who understand the "Burnley way" and can make sure that the ethos that has underpinned our success endures.

Good point. Not quite in the same vein but look at the role Leon Britton played at Swansea. When he got the players to pay for the fans trip to Sunderland it really galvanised them and strengthened the bond between players and fans.

UTC!