When Burnley announced the signing of Andre Grey from Brentford in August 2015, it was the club’s highest fee ever paid for a player. At the time, manager Sean Dyche compared Grey to the club’s past strikers, Danny Ings and Charlie Austin.
While the sum was not published, it was reported to be a club record at the time, with an estimated value of £9 million, according to BBC. Dyche saw Grey as a good fit for a team that had created a reputation for finding and developing eager attackers from the lower levels.
“Andre is a player we’ve known about since his non-league days with Hinckley Town,” Dyche remarked at the time. “He worked extremely hard to reach his current level. He has moved up the ladder and, in many respects, had a similar journey to two former strikers here – Danny Ings and Charlie Austin. In that regard, there is a rawness, a hunger, and a strong desire in him to continue his education and go even farther, and we intend it to be with us both now and in the future.”
Dyche’s support was not misplaced.
Grey came to Turf Moor with a reputation as a prolific Championship scorer, having scored 16 league goals and one play-off goal for Brentford in 2014/15. His work rate, strength, and pace were perfect for Dyche’s system.
Gray’s remarkable Championship campaign with the Clarets While he only spent one full season in the Championship with Burnley, it was a season that delivered exactly what the club had hoped for after paying a record fee: promotion and goals.
Grey made 41 league appearances in 2015/16, scoring 23 goals to finish as the Championship’s leading scorer. His goals propelled Burnley to the title and a quick return to the Premier League after relegation in 2014/2015.
He was selected Championship Player of the Year at the Football League Awards and a member of the PFA Championship Team of the Year. His hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Bristol City in December 2015 was a highlight, demonstrating his ability to dominate at Championship level.
Grey became the player he is now through non-league football.
Dyche frequently mentioned character and attitude when identifying players, and Grey embodied that mentality. Gray’s career began in non-league football with Hinckley United, followed by spells with Luton Town and Brentford. It offered him an advantage, which Burnley’s recruitment under Dyche regarded significantly.
His journey was similar to that of Austin and Ings, who entered with something to prove and went on to play in the Premier League.
After leaving Lancashire, he had a relatively successful spell with the Hornets. Three of his four seasons at Vicarage Road were spent in the Premier League, with his last season in the second tier.
Grey has played for QPR and Plymouth Argyle since leaving Watford, as well as abroad in Greece, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. His most recent season was with Fatih Karagumruk in Turkey’s second division.
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