Maxime Esteve: Burnley defender on learning English and the Clarets' incredible defensive record

Maxime Esteve is still relatively new to England and English. 

And sometimes understanding the accent in the North West can be a little bit of a challenge.

"It depends who's talking," the Burnley defender tells Zone Sporty VIP with a big smile on his face.

"If they speak slowly I can understand. If they speak very quickly it's sometimes not so good for me.

"I'm still learning English. It's not perfect but I'm trying to improve quickly. You need it so you can speak with everyone else in the dressing room."

The language is coming along very nicely, the conditions in Lancashire for a lad who grew up in the south of France, however, are still taking a little adjusting to.

"Maybe the weather has been a little new!" he says. "But the people here and this country are great.

"The club has been amazing with me. All the people here, the players. I'm very happy here.

"It's still a new team and a young team. I'm still a young player. But it's all very positive at the moment. We have the best defence in the league."

It is not a surprise that Esteve is in such good spirits. The 22-year-old has been exceptional this season in a record-breaking Burnley defence.

They have conceded just nine goals in 26 games. The least of any side at this stage in the history of the Championship, stretching back to 2004.

And Esteve, a towering 6ft 4in presence, has been crucial to that, starting every game.

Watching his assured performances, you would never know he has only been playing his current role for just a few years.

"I only played centre-back from aged 19," he says. "Before that I was a full-back. Before that I was a left winger.

"I'm too tall to play so close to the line, now. I love being a defender. I like clearances, putting my body on the line, tackles and duels. It is the best place for me to be.

"I do need to improve how I use the ball, maybe take more risks with it.

"And I need to improve how many I score. I like to defend on set-pieces, but I want to score a few goals before the end of the season.

"With my size I definitely need to be more decisive in both boxes."

Esteve had a taste of the Premier League last season, but it was a tough spell.

He arrived on loan at Turf Moor at the end of the January transfer window, with the club already trudging towards relegation.

It took seven attempts to even get his first win, while they also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of his 16 appearances.

Esteve still used it as a positive learning experience.

"I only arrived in February and I tried to do my best. But in the Premier League, especially when you're losing a lot of games, that can be difficult because it is the toughest league in the world," he adds.

"The intensity here is incredible. There is a big difference between French football and English football. It was difficult when I came and I needed to improve quickly.

"But it is the perfect place for me to learn and improve. So I hope myself and the team can go up this season."

With Esteve driving them forwards from the back, he and Burnley have every chance.