Josh Cullen will head into the Nations League battle with Scotland still accepting the ‘shock’ of life in English football under Vincent Kompany.
The 26-year-old Republic of Ireland midfielder followed the former Manchester City skipper to Burnley from Anderlecht this summer and admits it took some getting used to the rigors of the Championship Sky Bet.
Cullen said: “The schedule is much busier than what I was used to in Belgium, where it was mainly one game a week, and now you can have three games in six days.
We are delighted to announce the signing of Irish international Josh Cullen to a three-year deal from Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee 📝— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) July 12, 2022
“It was a bit of a shock to get used to again but, as a player, it’s so nice because you want to play as many games as possible.
“It’s part of the job. It’s something you have to get used to, but it’s something I love. »
Former West Ham trainee Cullen flourished under Kompany’s tutelage, which spanned almost two seasons in Belgium before his switch to Turf Moor, and is firmly established in Stephen’s Irish side Kenny.
Asked about his club manager’s influence, he said: “I hope he enjoyed working with me during the two years in Belgium as much as I enjoyed working with him.
“His style of play and his ideas about the game suit me. I haven’t had a conversation with him about exactly why he brought me, but I take it as a small compliment that he made the decision to bring me to Burnley.
“I’m enjoying it and looking forward to the season.”
This week, Cullen focuses on Ireland’s final Nations League fixtures which take them to Scotland on Saturday before Armenia visit Aviva Stadium three days later.
Kenny’s men won a resounding 3-0 victory over the Scots in Dublin in June as they recovered from defeats in their first two games against the Armenians and Ukraine, and they know they will have to be just as good, if not better if they are. emerge from their trip to Hampden Park with something to show for their efforts.
Cullen said: “We’re also hungry for another result. If they see this as a mission for revenge or whatever their view of the game is, we’re just as determined to go out there and get three more points and put in another good performance.
That task increased considerably in Wednesday night’s difficulty when Scotland, who were so poor in defeat at the Aviva, beat Ukraine 3-0 in Glasgow to take the lead in League B1, although Cullen insists this will not unduly alter Ireland’s approach.
He said: “It was a good win but Saturday is a new day and we have to be confident and confident that we can get a good result.”
