Burnley striker Lyle Foster is taking a break from football due to mental health issues, the club have confirmed. Foster is the Clarets’ top scorer in the Premier League this season, but the 23-year-old has been absent from Vincent Kompany’s last three matchday squads.
Foster arrived at Turf Moor in January this year, signing from Belgian outfit Westerlo and helping Kompany’s side to gain promotion from the Championship.
The South Africa international has hit the ground running in England’s top flight, scoring against Luton Town, Tottenham and Aston Villa this term to boost the Clarets’ survival bid. But Foster has not featured since the 3-0 defeat to Brentford last month.
Burnley’s statement, which was released on Thursday, reads: “On behalf of Lyle Foster and his family they have asked us to share with you an update on Lyle’s illness.
“Recently, Lyle let us know that he continues to live with issues around his mental well-being and has reached out for help. He is currently in the care of specialists – giving him the support and care he needs to help him back to full health.
“With the love and support of his family and everyone at Burnley Football Club we will do all we can to provide everything he needs to get better. We ask for your understanding and respect Lyle’s privacy around this matter and will not be making any more comment until further notice.”
“Now we are doing everything we can to get him to a place where he can do what he enjoys doing the most which is playing football as soon as possible because that will also affect his mental well-being hopefully in the future, positively. He is one of us and we need to look after our own.”
Foster came through in his homeland with Orlando Pirates, first arriving in Europe as a teenager to embark on spells in France, Portugal and Belgium. The forward also boasts four goals in 13 appearances at international level.
