Canadian winger Scott Arfield has confirmed that he will be leaving Premier League outfit Burnley at the end of the season and has signed a four-year pre-contract with Scottish giants Rangers. (Sky Sports)
The 29-year old is in the final leg of his contract with the Clarets and has decided to move to his birth country of Scotland in order to join up with the Gers, a club he supported as a youngster, on a free transfer ahead of the next season.
Arfield has been with the Clarets for close to five years now, having joined them from Huddersfield Town back in the summer of 2013 and has been an important player under Sean Dyche over the years. However, he had found himself struggling for game time in the 2017/18 campaign, having fallen behind the likes of Johann Berg-Gudmundsson, Robbie Brady, Aaron Lennon etc., in the pecking order with a calf injury he picked towards the end of February.
So far in the ongoing campaign, the 12-time capped Canadian international has managed just 18 appearances in the English top flight, scoring two goals and registering a solitary assist. In his five-season spell at the Turf Moor, Arfield has mustered up a total of 193 appearances, scoring 22 goals and setting up 12 more and has featured in over 80 games in the Premier League for the Clarets.
The Scotland-born winger’s volume of experience at the top level speaks for itself. Add to that, the player is well-versed with the Scottish game, having come through the Falkirk FC youth ranks, before going on to play for their senior side for three years, during which he made 108 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, netting 13 goals in the process.
Able to play on either flanks or as an auxiliary striker, Arfield is a very handful player to have in the ranks given his ability to hit in accurate crosses from the wide areas while contributing with goals of his own. Add to that, his work-rate and defensive contribution is also something that comes in very useful for the team.
Arfield may not be the biggest name in football, nor he is the flashiest of the footballers, but his experience at the top level with Burnley and his past ties with Scottish football means that the 29-year old will prove to be a useful addition to the Gers’ squad, who don’t have much backup in the wide areas for the likes of Daniel Candeias and Jamie Murphy.
