Football: Burnley happy to let Chris Wood travel

Chris Wood has quickly become an asset at Burnley. Photo / photosport.nz

Burnley manager Sean Dyche admits that Chris Wood's demanding travel schedule isn't ideal - but says he will never dissuade the All Whites striker from representing his country.

It's an issue that is likely to come into sharper focus in the coming weeks, as the realities of the journey involved to face Peru next month hits home.

Clubs in the English Premier League have players drawn from all across the globe, but nowhere further away than New Zealand.

In the space of 12 days in November, Wood will have three long-haul trips. First there is the journey back to New Zealand, which takes the best part of 30 hours when transit times are factored in.

Then the expedition to Lima, which involves an 11- or 12-hour flight to Santiago or Buenos Aires respectively, then four or five hours to Peru. From there, back to England, probably via North America, and the best part of 20 hours in the air.

In the space of a fortnight Wood will have two high-intensity matches against Peru, as well as Burnley's games against Southampton and Swansea, but Dyche said international representation was non-negotiable.

"We will certainly never stop anyone from playing for their country - that is one thing that is absolutely for sure," Dyche said. "It is what it is. These days players get used to travelling, used to the different challenges going into Europe. Sure in Chris's case it is obviously a lot further afield but he has done that many times and he will be used to it.

"The travelling side of things is not perfect but obviously people travel and the world has become a smaller place," added Dyche.

Wood should cope, but it's a double commitment that can be hard to manage. From a distance it's hard to understand the physical, mental and emotional pressures that come in the high-profile Premier League.

Wood, up until now, has managed to juggle club and country, allowing him to pass 50 international caps at at the age of 25.

That might steadily become more difficult now he is in the Premier League, especially after the impressive start he has made at Turf Moor.

Wood has scored three crucial goals, which have directly earned Burnley five points, to propel the Clarets into the top half of the table.