Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton has set his sights on a Premier League return after making his first competitive appearance in almost a year earlier this week.

The 32-year-old had been out of action since September 2017, when he dislocated his shoulder and faced a long period of recovery.

However, Heaton returned in Thursday's 3-1 Europa League qualifying playoff first leg defeat away at Olympiacos.

The England goalkeeper now has to regain his Clarets first-team place following the emergence of Nick Pope last term and the summer signing of Joe Hart.

"It felt fantastic," Heaton told Sky Sports News. "It's been a long old journey, 11-and-a-half months since my last competitive game, so it was brilliant to be back out there. It's the first step on the ladder for me and I'm looking forward to kicking on from there.

"It's been tough, it was a nasty injury and I had a few complications, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I feel more resilient. I'm feeling hungrier than ever, I'm feeling in great shape.

"I'm delighted to be back, even though I was thrown straight in to the lion's den at a very tough place to go. This is what I've been striving for, it's my first step, I loved every minute of it and I'm excited to take it forward from here.

"We've got a great goalkeeping department at the moment, a lot of competition, but I can't hide away from the fact that my aim is to get back playing in the Premier League. I want to get going that way. There are five senior goalkeepers so it's a strong department but I'm looking forward to embracing that and I've taken the first step on my personal journey."

Heaton has made 179 appearances for Burnley since his 2013 move from Bristol City.