Vokes joins Clarets

Last updated : 18 November 2011 By Tony Scholes
Attacking options strengthen with capture of Vokes

22-year-old Vokes is Burnley's first emergency loan signing this season and arrives at Turf Moor fresh from his two goal appearance for his adopted country Wales last week, coming on as a 70th minute substitute for Norwich's Steve Morison and scoring two late goals in a 4-1 win.

As I reported last night, he's a player who will be well known to Clarets' boss Eddie Howe and, for a very short time, they were team mates in Bournemouth's first team. They were both in the side on the day that Vokes made his debut in December 2006 against Nottingham Forest and just over a month later lined up together for the last time in a 2-0 defeat at Crewe as Howe made his last appearance.

By the time Howe had been appointed manager at Bournemouth they had sold Vokes to Wolves. That came in May 2008 when the club was in administration and the player was sold for an undisclosed fee to assist the club as they looked for a buyer.

He signed a four year deal with the Molineux club, a deal that has since been extended by a further year to the end of the 2012/13 season. He was just 18 at the time and has struggled to get a starting place at Wolves and has been used almost exclusively from the bench.

During the 2009/10 season he went out on loan to Leeds and last season made similar moves to Bristol City, where he was injured in his first game, Sheffield United and Norwich but has scored just three times in those loans.

He has, however, become a regular member of the Welsh squad having initially been introduced at under-21 level by former Claret Brian Flynn.

Last Saturday's game was his 19th appearance at full international level during which he's scored four goals. The two prior to last week were the winner against Azerbaijan in a World Cup qualifier in September 2008 and in a friendly against Montenegro in August 2009.

Vokes, who goes straight into the squad for tomorrow's game against Leeds, will be with the Clarets for two months until 15th January 2012.