Football League World
·27 November 2024
Football League World
·27 November 2024
Burnley investor JJ Watt heaped praise on Maxime Esteve after his role in their win over Coventry City.
JJ Watt praised Maxime Esteve as the defender continued his fine form to help Burnley to a crucial 2-0 win over Coventry City on Tuesday night.
The Clarets have enjoyed a strong start to life under Scott Parker following their relegation from the Premier League, with the side sitting second after their victory over the Sky Blues.
Burnley’s success has been built on a solid defence, with the side keeping 11 clean sheets in 17 games, and they’ve conceded just six goals.
Whilst it has been a team effort, there’s no denying that Esteve has been outstanding, with the left-sided central defender looking a class above this season.
The 22-year-old joined the club from Montpellier on loan in January, and he was one of few to impress in the top-flight as Vincent Kompany’s men finished in the bottom three.
Part of the agreement saw Esteve’s switch become permanent, and despite speculation linking him with an immediate move away, he stayed to become a key part of Parker’s plans.
The Frenchman put in another classy display against Coventry on Tuesday night, and he took to Instagram to praise his teammates for another clean sheet and a crucial three points.
That prompted a response from JJ Watt, who is of course a minority investor at Turf Moor, with the NFL legend simply commenting ‘Rolls’ which is in reference to Rolls-Royce, due to how Esteve has been performing.
Esteve has turned out to be a fantastic signing for Burnley, and he really has been excellent on the left-side of the defence this season.
He is a capable defender when it comes to heading the ball and making clearances, but it’s his intelligence that ensures he stands out from the rest.
Esteve will defend on the front foot, and he is very good at reading the game and making interceptions, whilst he is also comfortable in possession, which is vital nowadays.
As well as that, he boasts decent pace, which enables Parker and Burnley to defend a specific way, and what they’re doing is clearly working.
So, most fans will echo JJ Watt’s comment here, and they will be delighted at how Esteve, and the defence in general, are performing, as it’s the reason they are in the mix for automatic promotion right now.
Following on from that, you do forget just how young Esteve is, and, at 22, he should still have plenty of room for development, which is an exciting prospect.
Either way, it seems inevitable that Esteve will return to the highest level very quickly in his career, and whilst a January move should be off limits, it will be difficult to keep him at Turf Moor if the side fails to win promotion.
Wolves were credited with an interest in the player previously, and his performances this season will no doubt have put him on the radar of many more Premier League clubs.