Sean Dyche said the decision to let goalkeeper Tom Heaton leave Burnley for Aston Villa in a reported £8million deal was good business. The Clarets boss broke his silence after the 33-year-old England goalkeeper moved to Villa Park for an undisclosed fee on Thursday to become the Premier League new boys’ 11th signing of the summer at the time.
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Heaton was entering the final year of his contract at Burnley, where he made 200 appearances after moving to Turf Moor from Bristol City in 2013. And with Nick Pope and Joe Hart set to battle it out for the Clarets’ number one jersey in this coming season, Dyche felt the offer from Villa for Heaton was too good to turn down. “Tom has been a terrific servant to the club, as an individual, for the team and for the fans,” he said in the Lancashire Telegraph.
“He was a real ambassador around the place. “Quite simply a situation arose this summer, where he is in the final year of his contract, there was contact from Aston Villa and I believe he has been offered a very good contract for him and his family. “And there is a business model at Burnley Football Club, which everyone has come to understand. “It’s a very good fee for a very good player, but who is 33 with 10 months left on a contract, which has to be balanced up.”
