Burnley FC will be thankful iconic striker never convinced Mick McCarthy: View | OneFootball

Burnley have Mick McCarthy to thank for the success of Sam Vokes.

Sam Vokes is a renowned striker in the EFL and Premier League but his career path could've been very different if he had impressed Mick McCarthy at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The striker joined Wolves in 2008, coming off the back of an exceptional second season of professional football, where he scored 12 times in 41 league outings for AFC Bournemouth.

This form saw the Midlands club take a punt on the Welsh wonderkid, bringing him to Molineux on a four-year contract. Whilst he got off to the perfect start by netting on debut, Vokes never hit the heights that were expected of him, leading to Wolves cutting their losses and selling him to Burnley.

This, however, would prove to be the move that got Vokes' career right back on track.

Vokes struggled to impress at Wolves

For someone only playing in their second season of professional football, to net 12 goals at League One level is a remarkable achievement, so it was no surprise when heads from higher up the English football pyramid started turning.

It would be Wolves who would land the signature of the young Welshman, with manager McCarthy tipping his new signing to become a star.

When he netted on debut from the bench, it seemed like McCarthy's prediction was going to come true. However, Vokes managed just five more goals that season in 36 Championship appearances. It wasn't the worst return in the world, but the attacker would've hoped for better.

Fortunately, this was enough to see Wolves crowned champions of the second tier. Unfortunately for Vokes, the promotion meant he found himself out of favour at Molineux, which meant he was sent out on loan after loan.

All of his loan spells yielded goal returns that simply weren't enough to get him back in the picture at Wolves. By the time his final loan at Brighton had ended, McCarthy was sacked and Vokes was surplus to requirements.

When former loan club Burnley came in with an offer for the striker the following summer, Wolves were happy to accept the bid, which saw Vokes return to Turf Moor.

Burnley and Vokes were a match made in heaven

After a less than convincing few years, which involved going from club to club in an attempt to find form and push his way back into the first team at Wolverhampton. Vokes was eager to hit the ground running at his new home.

The first season was poor, as the striker featured in all 46 league games for the Clarets, scoring just four times. However, the following season would be the season that people would stand up and take notice.

The 2013/14 season was historic for Burnley and their new star striker. The club won promotion to the Premier League, as Vokes went on to form a formidable partnership with Danny Ings. He netted 20 times in 39 league appearances, putting his name back on the radar as a top striker.

This also got heads turning in the Wales camp, and the Burnley star would become a more prominent fixture in the Red Dragons' squad.

Sadly, due to an ACL rupture, Vokes missed a large portion of the Premier League campaign. He returned in December 2014, marking his return with a goal in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur. That would prove to be his only goal of the season, as the Welshman failed to register a single league goal in 15 attempts. Unfortunately, Burnley were relegated straight back to the Championship.

Back in the second tier, Vokes was able to find his form from before his injury. Burnley were promoted back to the Premier League, with the number nine scoring 15 times. The Clarets would remain in the top flight for the rest of Vokes' stint at Turf Moor, where he proved to be a valuable asset under Sean Dyche, helping his side defy the odds to become an established Premiership club, even reaching the Europa League qualifying rounds with a seventh-place finish.

The punt that Burnley took on the out-of-favour striker was a stroke of genius by Dyche, as he'd become an integral part of a system that brought the Clarets back to the pinnacle of English football. He had also formed a crucial partnership with Ings, that set the foundations for success.

Burnley can also thank McCarthy for the value of Vokes sale

Despite signing a new contract in October 2018, manager Dyche allowed Vokes to find a new club in January 2019.

The Welshman was sold to Stoke City for a large profit, commanding a fee of £7 million which could rise to £9 million with add-ons. Despite having to pay at least £1.7 million of that fee to Wolves due to a sell-on clause, Burnley still made a big profit on the reported £350,000 they spent on bringing him to the club. Not to mention, the Clarets also received Peter Crouch as part of the deal.

For all the success that Vokes brought to Turf Moor, it's fair to say that the £350,000 was more repaid by his exceptional contributions to the club. To get a tidy profit on the sale of the striker as well as another welcome bonus to what was already a successful piece of business.

Ultimately, Vokes didn't kick on at Stoke, which made the fee Burnley received for him look even better in hindsight. The Potters ended up selling the striker to Wycombe Wanderers, where he remains to this day. The story has a happy ending, as Vokes has become a fan favourite at Adams Park, enjoying a successful few seasons with the Chairboys.

With that being said, it would be fair to say that the signing of Vokes from Wolves was one of, if not the best, pieces of business Dyche did during his tenure as Burnley manager. The legendary striker is etched into Burnley folklore as one of the heroes who helped their club reach heights they'd never reached before.