Bashir Humphreys couldn’t have predicted how well his loan move to Burnley could have gone.
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The defender made 28 appearances for the Clarets on loan from Chelsea and played a major role in helping the club win promotion back to the Premier League.
While Humphreys missed the last couple of months through injury, the 22-year-old still took huge delight in watching on from the sidelines as Scott Parker’s men finished the season in second place.
“You have some form of expectation, otherwise I wouldn’t have been here,” he told the club’s YouTube channel. “I wouldn’t have wanted to come here and I wouldn’t have been as excited to come here. But I think it’s blown it out of the water.
"In terms of being in such an amazing environment, the club itself, the fans, the boys, it’s definitely one of the best groups I’ve been in.
“It almost reminds me of my academy days when I was younger when it was so tight-knit, boys spending a lot of time together, boys getting along really well. I’ve loved it.
Humphreys enjoyed a successful loan spell from Chelsea last season (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Humphreys enjoyed a successful loan spell from Chelsea last season (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Humphreys enjoyed a successful loan spell from Chelsea last season (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“It’s a hallmark of most successful teams, that they have that togetherness. It can be a bit of a boring buzzword but it’s just the reality, being together as a team is the most important thing, especially with the journey we’re about to go on in the Premier League.
“We know how hard it is, so it’s got to be about being together and not just one individual who can do too much or too little, it’s about the group.”
Humphreys, who continues to nurse a quad injury he sustained in training back in February, was forced to nervously watch on as Burnley overcame Sheffield United on Easter Monday to clinch promotion.
The centre-back, who actually played most of his football at left-back, often rotating with Lucas Pires, admits he’s not a great watcher from the terraces.
Humphreys, however, has learned to adopt to a new role while he can’t effect the game on the pitch.
“I hate it,” he said. “The number one thing I hate in this career is watching my own team when I’m not playing because I have no control.
“I feel like it’s worse being a fan because I’m so emotionally invested, I’m way more emotionally invested when I’m not involved than I am when I’m playing because when I’m playing I’m pretty calm because I know I can make an impact and I know I can do what I need to do.
“But honestly that Sheffield United game was a killer. When the first goal went in, I was like: ‘we’re up, we’re up’ and then they obviously scored and I was like: ‘oh my god, I’m stressing again’. It was all fine though, we got the result at the end of the day so it was happy days.
“The celebrations have started, but they’ve not finished yet. They’re still going! But it was amazing.”
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