Lancashire

Burnley defender Connor Roberts has said he needs a squad around him that want to play for the Championship club if they are to realise their potential.

The 30-year-old has twice won promotion from the Championship with the Clarets since joining in 2021 but missed the entirety of last season with an Achilles injury and later groin and hamstring problems.

The Welshman highlighted the importance of squad unity as Burnley aim to make another immediate return to the top flight, having finished second from bottom of the Premier League last term.

"When the hectic Championship season starts, it is all hands on deck and I'm really hopeful I've got myself a group of players and a squad around me that want to be here and want to play for Burnley," Roberts told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Because if you don't want to be here then don't come - or leave. It's as simple as that.

"We want a group of players who want to be here and want to get promoted, want to work every single day to make the fans proud, themselves proud and be part of something hopefully special once again."

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley midfielder Oluwaseun Adewumi has joined German second tier side Hertha Berlin on a season-long loan.

The 21-year-old, who is yet to make a first team appearance for the Clarets spent last season on loan with Cercle Bruges in Belgium, scoring five goals in 32 appearances.

Adewumi is an Austria Under-21 international and signed for Burnley from Floridsdorfer AC in 2024 after also spending time with Rapid Vienna in his homeland.

He has also previously had a loan spell with Dundee in the Scottish Premiership where he scored four goals in 28 games in the 2024-25 season.

Blackpool midfielder Karoy Anderson has spoken to BBC Radio Lancashire's sports editor Andy Bayes following his move from Charlton.

Listen to the full interview above.

Burnley have made a loan-to-buy offer to sign former Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath from MLS side Atlanta United. The 27-year-old Ivorian left Boro for £22.5m in February 2025 after scoring 27 goals in 59 Championship games. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external

Want to read more transfer rumours? Check out Friday's full gossip column here.

Preston North End are ready to put behind them the disappointment of missing out on the Championship play-offs last season, says captain Ben Whiteman.

The Lilywhites were fourth in the table at the start of January but won only four of their final 20 games to finish 14th, 13 points short of the top six.

"I understand the fans' frustration and we're just as frustrated. Once you put yourself in that position in January you want to keep pushing on," Whiteman told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Dan (Iversen - goalkeeper) was a massive loss when he got injured, but again not making excuses we weren't good enough over the piece. But it's gone, it's a new season now and we're looking to kick on.

"Since I've been at the football club the back end of the season has never been good enough, whether that's external or internal factors, it is disappointing but it's a fresh start and a season we're all looking forward to."

Preston made a statement of intent earlier this month when signing midfielder Alfie Devine from Tottenham for a club-record fee and Whiteman is pleased to have played a small part in encouraging him to make his loan move permanent.

"I kept in contact with Alfie over the summer as a bit of a sounding board for him," the 30-year-old added.

"You have a good season and there's a few clubs after you and you need that bit of guidance and that's what I tried to reiterate to him over the summer that coming back here he's loved by the players, fans and staff - once the finer details got sorted this was the only place he wanted to come to."

Preston start the new Championship season away at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, 15 August (12:30 BST).

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