"Man City or Real Madrid" - Champions League prediction made for top Burnley talent | OneFootball

The Frenchman has impressed since joining the Clarets in February 2024, and looks destined for a bright future in the game

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Scott Parker has made early inroads in trying to steer Burnley to an immediate return to the Premier League so far this season, with the Clarets among the leading pack in the second tier.

The Lancashire outfit have lost just one of their nine league games so far, with five wins and three draws seeing them sit just one point off the leading duo of Sunderland and Sheffield United as Championship action returns this weekend.

Only the Blades can top the defensive efforts of the Turf Moor side as it stands, with Chris Wilder’s side conceding three league goals, as opposed to Burnley’s four.

Maxime Esteve has been fundamental to that stingy backline barely giving anything away and Football League World’s Clarets fan pundit Nathan Rogers believes the Frenchman can go all the way to the top.

Maxime Esteve predicted for Champions League football in the future

Esteve initially joined Burnley on loan from Montpellier in the most recent winter transfer window while the Clarets were in the Premier League, before having that deal turned permanent in the summer.

The recently-relegated side reportedly paid an eight-figure fee in the region of €15 million for the defender, before offering him an extension to his deal just a month into the new season.

The five-year deal will see the French under-21 international committed to the club until 2029, and will also see the Clarets well reimbursed should their talented star move on in the years to come.

That is a fate that Rogers can foresee happening before too long, with the Clarets fan pundit expecting the brightest of futures for the talented 22-year-old.

When asked about the brightest talents at the club, the Burnley supporter said: “The one player that I think wholeheartedly should be playing at a higher level is Maxime Esteve.

“As much as I hate saying it, because I don’t want him to leave us anytime soon because he is a Rolls Royce of a player.

“He really does stand head and shoulders above everybody on the rest of the pitch when he plays; he has got such good composure and he can intercept well.

“He carries the ball well with his feet, he wins every header, he is your modern-day centre-half and without sounding too sensationalist, he would not look out of place at Man City or Real Madrid.

“He has got that stature about him and he is still very young, he has got a lot to learn in the game but I could easily see him playing at the very, very top and easily a Champions League team.

“He has got all the attributes of a really, really top centre-half, and I think as Burnley fans we are going to have to enjoy him while we still have him.”

Maxime Esteve’s effect on Burnley’s defensive output

Having played in each of Burnley’s Championship outings so far this season, Esteve is underlining just what a top talent he is at the back, with his leadership in the backline seeing the Clarets give up next to nothing for the opposition.

The Frenchman is leading the way at Turf Moor in terms of putting his body on the line in front of shots and passes in the current campaign, with his 12 blocks higher than any of his teammates, while only Lucas Pires (13) and Josh Brownhill (9) can top his eight interceptions.

Not only that, but the former Montpellier man is also excelling with the ball at his feet, with his 93.3% passing accuracy the highest of any player at the club, having attempted much more than any of his colleagues.

That only goes to show how pivotal the recent arrival is with and without the ball, as he continues to repel the opposition, while also acting as the base of Burnley attacks, with his composure in and out of possession likely to see him make it all the way to the top.

His performances will likely keep Parker’s side competing near the top of the second division this season, but if they don’t make it back to the top flight, there will surely be plenty of interest in his services by the time next summer comes around.