Vincent Kompany on life as a manager in the Premier League

It’s been a tough few months back in the top flight for the Clarets, but the Belgian is still relishing the challenge.

“It’s the most wonderful job in the world, I have to be honest. I feel you’re constantly getting challenged, constantly having to look for ways to be better yourself, make the team better, help other people being better and you get to do it on the best stage in the world. I feel very privileged to be in this position, I feel very willing to go above and beyond to show the respect it deserves.”

He also feel he is a better manager now than he was at the beginning of the season.

“I would hope any year in my life I would feel a better manager tomorrow than I was the day before. If I’m 64 I’d still hope you can ask me that question I’d be able to say I’m better than when I was 55.”

And could he still be here at 64?

“I’ve thought about the possibility!”

Burnley are currently five points behind 17th placed Everton, with the small matter of a visit to last season’s treble winners up next at the end of month.

Kompany is adamant the team is improving. Although he’s acutely aware this needs to translate into results sooner rather than later.

“I’d hope as a manager at some point they do, otherwise it’s a pretty grim outlook. The thing that would make me the most nervous is if you didn’t have the right characters in the building. If you have a group of players who are just there and there for a pay day and progression doesn’t really matter, you’re in trouble.

“There are reasons why I’ve kept telling you at any point in the season how much I’m enjoying working with this team. It’s really genuine. I feel like I have characters who have a growth mindset and their improvement ultimately is an improvement of all of us.

“On top of improvement, you want results. But I do feel like what they are showing is that this should turn into results this season, but the goal is to do that sooner rather than later because you don’t want it to happen too late of course. But I hope these signs do turn into results.”