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Zian Flemming urged to stay at Burnley after late heroics in West Ham draw

The Irish News · Ian Parker; Press Association · 2026-08-16T18:39:12+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Burnley boss Nicky Hayen has urged Zian Flemming to stay at Turf Moor but admitted transfer interest in the striker will only go up after his late heroics in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with West Ham. Flemming dragged Burnley back from 2-0 down in the Sky Bet Championship clash of freshly relegated sides, scoring from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute before levelling in stoppage time. The Dutchman, Burnley’s top scorer last term, has been linked with some Premier League clubs this summer but Hayen said it was “really important” to Burnley to keep him at Turf Moor. “It didn’t help that he scored two times today!” Hayen joked. “No, I’m really pleased with his performance and also the way he scored the penalty, he scored the second goal, and of course Zian is really important not only with his goals but also how he plays for us. “But also, as I said, the way we play also suits him but maybe it’s the best choice for him to stay because he can be even more important than before. “Maybe wait for six months and during the winter break, maybe it can change every time, but the way he feels I think he enjoys himself and that’s the most important thing at the moment.” West Ham had underlined their credentials as favourites for an immediate return to the top flight in the first half as they took a 10th-minute lead through Max Kilman and then bossed possession for the rest of the opening 45 minutes. Last season West Ham dropped 20 points from winning positions on their way to relegation, and it was a familiar sinking feeling as they let Burnley back into this one after Ollie Scarles cut down Marcus Edwards in the box to concede a penalty with eight minutes left. “It’s disappointing,” Nuno Espirito Santo said. “We did a very good first half, we create a lot of situation and we stop Burnley. Not so good in the second half. After we scored the second we should have done better to keep the result… “Of course when you are in front of the result in the last minutes of the game, it’s a learning process that you have to do and fast. We cannot let these two points get away from us.” West Ham on Saturday broke the Championship transfer record to bring in Belgium midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic in a £22million deal – Sunday’s match was too soon for the 22-year-old to be involved – but Nuno said he needs more reinforcements before the window closes. “The club knows the targets and the needs of the team,” he said. “We are working very hard and trying to get bodies in as soon as possible.”