WATCH: Kompany praises ‘important’ Foster as he signs new Burnley deal

Burnley head coach Vincent Kompany says Lyle Foster is going to be an “important striker in the Premier League” after the Bafana Bafana front man was rewarded for a fine start to the season with a new five-year contract on Thursday.

Foster signed a four-and-a-half year deal upon joining the Clarets from Belgian side Westerlo in January, but has now been offered a new deal that will keep him under contract until 2028. Kompany implied at a press conference on Thursday that Foster has also been given an increase on his previous deal.

“He came in from a very small club before coming to us and we believe he is going to be an important striker in the Premier League. When you compare the benchmarks in the Premier League there has been a slight correction, and also to make sure we have him at the club a bit longer. So we are really happy with that,” said Kompany.

Foster has three goals and two assists in seven Premier League appearances so far for Burnley, with the only real blemish a red card he picked up for violent conduct against Nottingham Forest, that meant he also had to serve a three-match ban.

That behaviour was out of character for Foster, and Kompany praised his contributions to Burnley off the field as well as on it.

“If we speak about settling in, that took him six months,” said Kompany on Foster, who joined in January but only scored one goal in Burnley’s push for promotion from the Championship.

“But we are happy and he is performing well. It is not just what he has shown on the pitch. It is also off the pitch, he is dependable, hard working, is there for the team and is able to compete at this level.”