Dyer primed for Clarets reunion

Nathan Dyer returns to the club where he made his first league start this weekend believing Swansea City will soon turn their form around.

Dyer was just a teenage scholar at Southampton when he joined Burnley on loan back in the autumn of 2005.

Yet he made such a positive impression with the Clarets that he was soon recalled by his parent club.

“It was a long time ago now – I was 17,” the Swans winger recalled. “A lot of faces have changed at the club now, but it’s always nice to go back to the place where you first started playing in the Football League.

“I was only there for four games, but I scored two goals and got recalled by Southampton, so I must have done something right!”

Dyer had made two starts for the Saints in the League Cup – and played just three minutes of league football as a substitute – before leaving for Burnley, who were then a fellow Championship club.

Then Southampton boss Harry Redknapp allowed Dyer to join Steve Cotterill’s Burnley, and the winger made an instant impact as he scored on his debut after coming off the bench against Millwall.

Having made his first Football League start at Leeds, Dyer netted again against Crewe.

After just two more appearances for Burnley, he was back at Southampton.

Now one of the senior figures in the Swans squad, Dyer heads back to his old stamping ground on Saturday.

Having made a first start of the season against Brighton last time out, Dyer will hope for another chance to impress as the Swans go in search of a much-needed victory.

Paul Clement’s men have dropped into the Premier League’s bottom three having won only one of their last eight top-flight games.

“We need to start picking up points both at home and on the road,” Dyer said.

“We have to focus on producing performances. If we do that, I’m sure we’ll start doing picking up results soon.”