Keane hoping for 2017 England debut

Many people make New Year’s resolutions but not everybody sees them through. Michael Keane is not everybody.

This time last year, the Burnley centre-back's targets for 2016 were to help the Clarets gain promotion back to the Premier League and get his first England call-up. Now, having achieved both of those goals, he is setting his sights even higher for 2017.

"My first England call-up was probably the best moment of my career and being promoted from the Championship for the second time in three seasons is not easy to do," Keane told the Daily Express.

"I played in nearly every game when we won the league, which was fantastic experience, and it was nice to fulfil my other New Year's resolution of making it back to the Premier League.

"Now I want to make my England debut in 2017 – that's the first wish on my list – and to stay in and around the squad. Hopefully I can do that by playing well for Burnley on a consistent basis and helping us to remain in the Premier League."

The 23-year-old has made 16 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring one goal, and England boss Gareth Southgate was in attendance to watch him in Burnley's narrow defeat away at West Ham in midweek.

"It's always good when the England manager comes to watch and you're on show but, more than anything, it's playing regular football that gives you confidence," Keane continued.

"When you manage to get a run of games in a settled side and you manage to put a few decent performances together against the likes of Liverpool and Everton, you go from strength to strength. It's good to be noticed."

Burnley's away supporters have had very little to cheer so far this season as the Clarets have picked up just one point on their travels and scored just one goal – a consolation penalty in a 3-1 loss at Southampton. They are also without a top-flight win in the nation's capital since 1975, which does not bode well for their trip to Tottenham this on Sunday.

"That's not a good stat but we've got another chance to do something about it at Tottenham," the defender remarked. "If we play the way we did in the second half at West Ham, we'll give ourselves a chance, so we'll have to see where it takes us."

And Keane is relishing the prospect of coming up against Harry Kane again this weekend after the pair spent three months on loan together at Leicester City in 2013.

"You learn a lot from playing against players of his calibre," the Burnley man enthused. "You see habits, things they do at certain times, the way they get shots off and the way they go about the game in general.

"But if you studied Harry's game for weaknesses, you would be searching a long time. He's strong, mobile, good in the air, a great striker of the ball with both feet and he's worked very hard on his pace."