Loyalty, integrity, honesty and enthusiasm are just a smattering of the adjectives you would use to describe Graham Alexander, who is relishing his long overdue 15 minutes of fame.
The 38-year-old became the sixth oldest scorer in Premier League history when he snared a brace against
Hull at the weekend in what was his 100th appearance for
Burnley...and his 900th in total.
A career spanning over 22 seasons and moving toward 1,000 appearances prove the quality this dependable full-back/midfielder possesses.
Add 38 caps for his country and over 100 goals in all competitions to the mix and it gives you some idea of just how valuable Alexander has been to a succession of managers.
After a career spent in the bottom three divisions with
Scunthorpe, Luton and
Preston (he made well over 100 appearances for all those sides) he played a whopping 61 games last season at the age of 37 to help Burnley into the Premier League.
If ever there was a manager made for
Alexander then it is Owen Coyle. Both are infectiously enthusiastic and are relishing proving the critics wrong who predicted a swift Burnley demise.
A penalty expert, well over half of Alexander’s goals have come from 12 yards out, which shows unerring accuracy and technique and a cool head. All of which hasn’t gone unnoticed by Clarets boss Coyle.
"For me, Graham Alexander epitomises everything at the football club we're looking for,” Coyle told the Burnley Express.
“He is a quality player but trains and plays every game as if it's his last. He's just a terrific footballer, a terrific man to have about the place and a terrific role model. He sets very high standards and tries to live up to them. From day one at the football club he's been fantastic for me and that will continue.
"I think in football you see it with players of that age. If they have an under par game or don't play to the standard they played before, it's because of their age.
"They're not allowed a bad game like anybody else. I think that's where people need to look at it overall and understand that sometimes players can't play to their maximum every week and it's not because they're 35 or 36. It just happens to be they've not got to their standard that day.
"But Graham Alexander has been outstanding for me since day one and he will continue to be. In terms of how he goes about it, as I say, he comes each and every day with the enthusiasm he has for the game and football intelligence.
"By his own admission he'll tell you he's not the quickest player in the world but he has that extra yard in his head and he knows the positions to be in.
"You only need to look at the stats and you'll see Graham Alexander receives the ball more than anybody; he covers more ground than people would believe. Nobody has to tell me about his merits; for me he is a top player and a top man."
With that glowing endorsement ringing in his ears it was no wonder that Alexander smacked home a 20-yard screamer as well as his customary penalty against Hull on Saturday.
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