Burnley confirm departure of 32-year-old midfielder | OneFootball

Burnley have confirmed that midfielder Ashley Westwood has completed his move to join MLS side Charlotte FC.

Westwood has just returned to training following a long-injury lay off, but will now make the switch to the United States, signing a three-year contract with his new club.

The 32-year-old signed for the Clarets in January 2017 from Aston Villa and made 181 appearances during his time at Turf Moor, scoring seven goals.

He was an integral part of the team under Sean Dyche which secured Premier League survival for five consecutive years and he also played in their Europa League campaign in 2018.

But Westwood has not featured under Vincent Kompany this season after suffering a serious ankle injury in April, though he is now back to full fitness.

Prior to his departure being confirmed, the Belgian had admitted that while he had a lot of respect for Westwood, he could not stand in his way.

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The verdict

Westwood has been an excellent servant for Burnley.

He was mainstay as part of the core of Dyche’s team for many years and Kompany will be disappointed to see him leave as his experience and quality could have been useful as the season progresses.

But thankfully for the Clarets, they are well stocked in midfield and the partnership between Jack Cork and Josh Cullen has been crucial to their success this campaign.

It is a credit to how well Burnley are doing under Kompany that a player like Westwood leaving will barely be noticed given the 36-year-old’s recruitment record, you would not bet against him finding a replacement of a similar standard.