Burnley's James Tarkowski relishing long-awaited Oldham return

The defender will be in the opposition camp, as Premier League Burnley take on Keith Curle’s Latics at Boundary Park.

But in many respects for Tarkowski it will be like coming home.

“It’s where I built my career, the real base of it, I learnt a hell of a lot in the time I was there from all different coaches,” said the 28-year-old, who progressed through the youth ranks to make almost 90 senior appearances for Latics following his debut in January 2011 against Brentford, ironically the club he was sold to three years later.

“At times it wasn’t the kind of learning that I thought would build me, like things going against me, but the whole experience really helped me along the way.”

Tarkowski admits he found the lack of consistency in selection under his first manager, Paul Dickov, frustrating.

“When you’re not playing and you’re in and out of the team, at the time you think it’s going against you and you think you’re missing out,” he explained.

“But you learn from those sort of experiences and that’s how you get yourself better.

“There were a lot of times I was taken out of the team under Dickov and I could never really understand the reasons why then.

"I thought it was going against my career but it’s all valuable experience in the end.”

Ultimately, it worked to his advantage after he joined Burnley’s promotion push in February 2016.

“Through time, when I joined Burnley and I didn’t play for a long time, using that experience I had when I was younger I could use it to my benefit and spend time improving my game,” Tarkowski continued.

“The times when you’re not playing, it’s the best time to improve yourself really.

"When you’re playing week in, week out it’s difficult because you’re just preparing yourself for a game again, but when you’re not really expecting to play that’s the time you can really get your head down on the training ground and work on things that are going to improve your game, on the pitch and in the gym.

“That was the sort of experience I used from when I was younger at Oldham and I improved there, and I’ve used that here as well.”

Tarkowski was given his Latics debut by Dickov. But it is Tony Philliskirk who he credits with being the biggest influence on his career, having nurtured him through the club’s youth system, and then putting faith in him in the first team during a spell in caretaker charge in between Dickov’s departure in February 2013 and Lee Johnson’s appointment just over a month later.

“Tony Philliskirk knew me from being eight or nine years old so he was always aware of me,” said Tarkowski.

“I worked my way through the youth team and Paul Dickov started to get me involved with the first team, albeit in and out of the squad.

“Tony Philliskirk took over briefly as temporary manager and put me in, and from that day I played pretty much every game until the end of the season and for the season after.”

Tarkowski’s form led to two moves and two promotions, and two England caps so far, as well as playing in Europe – achievements that have no doubt been up for discussion now that the pair have been reunited at Burnley, with Philliskirk the club’s Under 18s boss.

“I saw him for the first time in a while on Thursday,” said Tarkowski.

“I’ve always said he was probably the biggest influence on my career.

“He had great belief in me from a very young age up until the moment I left the club, which is massive as a player, it’s what you want.

“He’s still looking out for me now and we had a little chat this week when our paths crossed.”

And Tarkowski is relishing treading familiar paths at Boundary Park tomorrow.

“I’m very excited. I went back probably a month or two after leaving Oldham originally as a player and then I’ve been back a couple of times as a fan in the crowd, but to finally go back again all these years after to play against them again, I’m looking forward to it.

“A lot of people have gone since I was there. The first few times I went back over the years there were a lot of familiar faces, but I think I’d struggle to recognise anyone now.

“But it’s a great club and the fans are brilliant, and they’ve got to stick by them now.

“It’s not a great time for the club but they’re hopefully going to bounce back and work their way up the league again, and hopefully at least get back into League One.”

And Tarkowski feels Keith Curle can be the man to lead that charge.

“I know he’s had success at other clubs, he did well at Northampton. So hopefully he will take the club upwards. He’s a very experienced manager at that level so hopefully he can get the right group together and the fans get behind him and hopefully it’s a successful season,” said the centre half, conscious of the discontent between the fans and the club’s hierarchy.

“It’s not nice to see, you want everyone together and pointing in the right direction.

“I understand the fans, they care, they just want the best for the club, and that’s all they want. But you want everyone’s noses pointing in the same direction so you can get a bit of success.

“So hopefully those issues are resolved sooner rather than later and the club can work their way up the league.”

That is certainly Curle’s aim, and he is testing his side with Premier League opposition this afternoon in order to help achieve it.

For Latics, it is their fourth pre-season friendly, but the first for Burnley – and a first in 511 days for Oldham with fans back at Boundary Park.

“It was strange without fans but in the end it did become the norm a little bit,” Tarkowski explained

“We had a little experience at the back end of last season with fans back in at our place and on the final away game.

“It was like goosebumps when we went out for the first time and fans were back cheering - just having that noise. We became so accustomed to just silence when we were out their and hearing each other’s voices it became the norm.

“That first experience of running out at Turf Moor and hearing fans again was incredible, and hopefully now that continues this season and we hear fans home and away, because it’s what you want. It’s why you play the game.”

And Tarkowski is likely to get a good reception from both sets of fans tomorrow, having been a fans’ favourite during his time at Boundary Park, and a player whose progress they still follow.

“It’s strange really, when you’re there you probably don’t feel it as much but once you leave, and I’ve managed to have quite a successful time since leaving, they’ve always sent me nice messages and every time I come across them they’ve always been great with me,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to going back.”