Burnley defender Ian Maatsen has admitted he was unaware Vincent Kompany was the manager at Turf Moor, until the Belgian spoke to him about a transfer.
Maatsen is currently on loan at Burnley from Chelsea, joining for the season after it was made clear there was little prospect of playing time at Stamford Bridge this season.
It is the Dutchman’s third straight loan away from Chelsea after spending last season on loan with Coventry and 2020-21 with Charlton.
As with those two clubs he has established himself as the first-choice left-back at Burnley this season, impressing with four goals and four assists in 22 games in the Championship this season.
He’s been a key player in the Clarets’ successful campaign so far, with Burnley sitting top of the Championship table and five points clear of Sheffield United in second place.
Maatsen is more than happy with how things are going, insisting that Burnley felt immediately right when he visited ahead of the move.
“I had read rumours on the internet that the club wanted me, but I didn’t know how serious that was,” he told Voetbal Zone.
“Suddenly I had Vincent Kompany on the line, then you do look up! To be honest, I did not know he was Burnley’s manager, but he immediately said he was interested in me. He also told me about his plan of action and vision for football.
“When such a legend calls you personally it does make an impression. I immediately asked Chelsea if I could go and watch Burnley. When I got there it immediately felt right, which is why I made this choice.
“He really wants to work with me and has been a great defender himself. He knows what you have to do to reach the top.
“We have a lot of conversations about that, but also talk about life outside football. The fact that he speaks Dutch is nice, it definitely helps me in certain situations. He has been through everything; I can learn a lot from him.”
