Nick Pope signs new long term deal with the Clarets
Only yesterday I wrote about the speculation regarding our goalkeepers with at least one more likely to leave. The recent gossip has seen Nick Pope linked with Bournemouth but a move to the south coast is not going to happen with Pope committing long term to the Clarets.
Pope has been at Burnley for three years but he’s put pen to paper on a new deal that will see him remain at Turf Moor until at least June 2023 with the option of a further year.
He joined us in the summer of 2016 having played his final game for Charlton in our 3-0 title clinching win at The Valley. His first season saw him start as third choice behind Tom Heaton and Paul Robinson but by the end of the season he’d become Tom’s understudy.
In only the fourth game of last season he was pressed into action when Heaton was injured against Crystal Palace. He came on, kept a clean sheet and kept his place in the team right through the season even when Heaton had regained fitness. His performances were such that he won his first England cap and was in the squad that travelled to Russia for the World Cup.
The good news quickly came to an end when he suffered a similar shoulder injury to Heaton in our opening Europa League game at Aberdeen and since returning to fitness has only played in our two FA Cup ties and hasn’t even made the bench.
There was speculation before the season ended that he’d be leaving this summer but any suggestion of that has been dismissed with today’s news. “I’m in a good place,” said Pope. “The shoulder feels good and I’m looking forward to coming back ready for next season.”
He added: “With the contract being for a further four years that will carry me through the majority of my career. When you look at a long deal like that, you take into context the club you’re at and the people you will be around every day. I love being where I am and working with the lads every day. It’s an enjoyable place to be.”
“I want to get back to where I left off and help the club build on the three years I’ve had here so far. Last year was a bit of a non-starter for me with the injury. It was frustrating and didn’t pan out as I hoped after such a high the season before, but it’s been a fantastic time here and I want to help the club to keep moving forward.”
Sean Dyche said recently that the club would be looking at the players whose contracts were next to come to an end and he said: “After a difficult, injury-affected year, through no fault of his own, Nick lost a season’s work, but we are absolutely delighted that he has now agreed a new long-term deal, which mirrors the aim of the club.
“We have always said we want to be strong in the market and that includes when it comes to other clubs trying to get our players. This is a clear sign of that. Nick has shown himself to be a real professional and we are delighted to have him at the club until 2024 and look forward to continuing the good work he has already achieved.”
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