Sean Dyche likened club-record Burnley FC signing to Ings and Austin - £9m man delivered | OneFootball

Andre Gray was signed for a club-record £9 million by Burnley in 2015, and he lived up to his pricetag.

When Burnley announced the signing of Andre Gray from Brentford in August 2015, it was the largest fee the club had ever paid for a player. At the time, manager Sean Dyche drew comparisons between Gray and two of the club’s previous striking successes, Danny Ings and Charlie Austin.

While the fee was undisclosed, it was reported as being a club-record at the time and was believed to be £9m, according to the BBC.

For a club that had built a reputation on spotting and developing hungry forwards from the lower leagues, Dyche believed that Gray fit the mould.

"Andre is a player who we have been aware of since his Hinckley Town days in non-league," Dyche said at the time. "He has worked very, very hard to get to the level he's at. He has risen up the ladder and, in many ways, had a similar pathway to two former strikers here – Danny Ings and Charlie Austin. In that respect there is a rawness, a hunger and a great desire from him to continue his education and go even further, and we intend that to be with us in the immediacy and also in the future."

Dyche’s backing was not misplaced. Gray arrived at Turf Moor with a reputation as a prolific scorer in the Championship, having hit 16 league goals and one play-off goal in 2014/15 for Brentford. His work rate, strength and pace fit perfectly into Dyche’s system.

Gray's memorable Championship campaign for the Clarets

While he had only one full season at Burnley in the Championship, it was a campaign that delivered exactly what was expected when the club paid a record fee: promotion and goals.

Gray made 41 league appearances in the 2015/16 season, scoring 23 goals to finish as the Championship’s top scorer. His goals fired Burnley to the title and an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation in 2014/15.

He was named the Championship Player of the Year at the Football League Awards, while also being included in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

His hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Bristol City in December 2015 was a standout moment, showing his ability to dominate at Championship level.

Non-league football made Gray the player he is

Dyche often spoke about character and attitude when identifying players, and Gray fit that ethos. Having come through non-league football with Hinckley United before spells at Luton Town and then Brentford, Gray had built his career in the lower leagues. It gave him an edge that Burnley’s recruitment under Dyche valued highly. His story mirrored that of Austin and Ings, both of whom arrived with a point to prove and went on to reach the Premier League.

In the top flight, Gray continued to lead the line. He scored nine goals in 32 Premier League appearances in the 2016/17 season. Among those were important strikes against Liverpool, and a first Premier League hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Sunderland in December 2016. That performance made him the first Burnley player to score a Premier League hat-trick.

Despite the step-up in quality, Gray’s ability to get behind defences and finish chances held up in the Premier League. Burnley’s style under Dyche was compact and often relied on moments of efficiency in attack. Gray was a key part of that strategy. His pace stretched teams and created space for others, even when he wasn't scoring.

Life after Burnley for Andre Gray

By the end of his second season, Gray had done what the club signed him to do: deliver goals and help Burnley stay in the Premier League. In August 2017, Gray was sold to Watford for a reported £18.5 million, more than double what Burnley had paid for him two years earlier.

His time at the Clarets was relatively short but significant. Over two seasons, Gray scored 33 goals in 78 appearances. He delivered promotion, won individual honours, and played a part in solidifying Burnley’s place back in the Premier League.

Since leaving Lancashire, he had a relatively successful period at the Hornets. Three of his four seasons at Vicarage Road were spent playing in the Premier League, with only his final season at the club being spent in the second tier.

Post-Watford, Gray has been at QPR and Plymouth Argyle as well as playing abroad in Greece, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. His most recent season was spent in the Turkish second tier for Fatih Karagumruk.