Burnley FC hit the mark with £10m Swansea City agreement | OneFootball

Jack Cork left Swansea City for Burnley in 2017 and proved to be an excellent addition for the Clarets over the next couple of seasons

In the summer of 2017, Jack Cork swapped the south of Wales for Lancashire in a move that would have gone under the radar for most English football supporters, but it's one that certainly paid off.

After two-and-half years with Swansea City, Cork joined fellow Premier League side Burnley for a fee of £10million, a substantial fee which may have raised eyebrows, but it was worth every penny for the Clarets.

Cork officially retired from playing in the summer of 2024, although he has since returned to Burnley in an academy coach/player role, meaning that the Clarets are still reaping the rewards of their decision to sign him over seven years ago.

Burnley hit the mark with £10million Jack Cork, Swansea City deal

Cork had plenty of experience of the Premier League thanks to time with Southampton and Swansea City, and he'd developed a reputation as a very capable Premier League midfielder, if not a tad underrated, thanks to his no-nonsense approach of doing the basics well.

With that in mind, it went under the radar somewhat when Burnley signed him, but it immediately paid off for Sean Dyche's side, who reaped the rewards of having an experienced head in the centre of the park.

Swansea finished one point and one place above Burnley during the 2016/17 campaign, Cork's last in SA1, but the Clarets finished 11 places and 21 points above them the following year, with the Swans suffering relegation to the Championship.

Of course, Cork wasn't solely the reason for that, but Swansea certainly missed his quality during the 2017/18 campaign, and Burnley thrived with him as they qualified for Europe.

Just months after moving to Turf Moor, Cork won his one and only cap for England too, showing just how well he was doing for the Clarets.

Cork missed just one Premier League game in his first two seasons at the Clarets, highlighting just how important he was, and he continued to be a regular in Dyche's starting XI over the course of the next couple of campaigns, which culminated in relegation to the Championship.

The midfielder played just 20 Premier League games as they were relegated in 2022, but playing in the Championship gave Cork a new lease of life, and he wore the captain's armband on a number of occasions as he played 39 games to lead his side to the second tier title.

His last season at the club certainly didn't go to plan, as Burnley suffered relegation and Cork played just four league games with age clearly catching up with him, but there's no denying that the £10million they spent on him seven years prior proved incredible value for money with 210 appearances, and the midfielder will always be fondly remembered at Turf Moor.

Burnley are still benefiting from their decision to sign Jack Cork in 2017

While Cork may have been released this summer, he didn't spend too long away from the club and returned as an academy player/coach at the beginning of October.

Having someone of his vast experience working with the club's young players will prove invaluable in the long-term for the Clarets, and he'll still get the chance to lace his boots up with the occasional appearance for the U21 side.

It's fitting really that Cork has returned to Burnley in some capacity, and young players will learn a lot from working alongside him in training and playing with him on occasions too.

After returning to Burnley in October, Cork said: "I’m not sure how fit I’ll be but maybe when the fixtures pile up in December or certain things happen on the pitch that Faz (Andy Farrell) or me think might help with someone’s development, maybe for 15 minutes or so, I can come on and play certain parts of the game."

The 35-year-old could probably still do a job for Scott Parker's first-team if there was an injury crisis too, and it's clear that Burnley is a club close to his heart.

The £10million that Burnley paid for Cork in 2017 may have raised some eyebrows initially, but it's proved an excellent bit of business that they're still benefiting from.