Burnley FC: Lyle Foster involved in "league's best" debate as unpopular opinion delivered | OneFootball

Foster has not been at his best for Burnley this season, but our Burnley Fan Pundit still has him marked for the top

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...

Lyle Foster has not had the Championship season he would have dreamed of for Burnley so far this term.

In 24 second-tier outings, he’s managed just two goals and four assists, having been unseated by injury and Millwall loanee Zian Flemming for much of the season.

It follows a relatively promising Premier League season in 2023/24, which many would have hoped the South African was going to kick on from.

Nevertheless, our Burnley Fan Pundit, Will, is still backing him to become one of the league’s best strikers, an opinion he admits won’t be shared by all.

Burnley’s Lyle Foster backed to become best striker in the Championship

Speaking to Football League World, Will said: “My unpopular opinion with something to do with Burnley is: I think Lyle Foster could be the league's best striker.

“Obviously, we've not seen that much this year. He's only scored twice, one against Blackburn and one against Luton.

“I think Scott Parker's obviously preferred Zian Flemming up front this season and whilst it's been somewhat fruitful, I think Foster's better suited to playing as a striker.

“If we play to his strengths, he's quite quick, he's physical. He's everything that clubs look for in a Championship striker, I think.

“And I feel like he's not really been given that chance this season. Obviously, he's been injured a little bit.

“But yeah, I think you just have to look back at his Premier League campaign last time out or at least the first few months of it, and he was really prolific and brilliant at bringing the ball from deep and driving with it.

“If you could turn that into his hold-up play and his physicality up front, there's no reason why he couldn't be the best striker in the league.

“I'm aware that not a lot of fans will agree with me on that one, but I think he's got all the tools to be a top striker at this level.”

Many will have hoped for more from Foster at this stage

The Clarets paid a not-insignificant £8m fee to bring Foster in from Belgian side Westerlo in January 2023.

Given the club was then managed by former Belgium captain Vincent Kompany, plus the hefty sum paid, you’d forgive Burnley fans for feeling like they’d potentially just unearthed the next hidden gem.

But it hasn’t quite worked out so far.

He netted just once that first season, before having his best campaign during the club’s one-term stay in the Premier League in 2023/24 – five goals and three assists, as part of a struggling team – but appears to have tailed off slightly again this year.

Will is right that Foster has all the attributes to become a top striker – it’s likely what attracted Burnley in the first place – but he needs to start turning that potential into tangible output if he’s going to truly make a name for himself at the club.

At 24, Foster still has plenty of years ahead of him to reach the heights Will predicts of him, but he will need to start showing signs of progress soon.