Sam Vokes interview: Wales striker on Gareth Bale and injury at Burnley

After scoring 20 goals for Burnley to help them to the Premier League, Sam Vokes missed much of the season through injury. Back to fitness, the Wales international talked to Adam Bate about being back in the Championship and the carrot of Euro 2016…

"It's not a bad little role is it?" It's just been suggested that Sam Vokes can play the Karim Benzema role alongside Gareth Bale in the Wales team. The tongue is firmly in his cheek but the excitement is real. Wales are on course to reach their first major finals in 58 years.

"I don't want to jinx it all but it's obviously at the back of my mind and we've got a real chance of qualifying," Vokes tells Sky Sports. "It's a really positive one for myself and for Wales if we get there. But until you secure it, it feels a mile off."

Tell that to the supporters. "There's a real buzz about the place and it's a good place to be at the moment," adds the Burnley striker. "We've got two big qualifiers coming up and it's a chance to push on at the top of the table."

For Vokes, it's an opportunity to remind Wales boss Chris Coleman of his capabilities. The 25-year-old hasn't started an international game for his country since netting what turned out to be the decisive goal in a 3-1 win over Iceland in March 2014.

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At the time, Vokes was in the middle of a run of 12 goals in 16 games – the form of his life. But a serious knee injury later that month stalled his progress, Hal Robson-Kanu seized his chance with Wales and Vokes had to watch Burnley's promotion from the sidelines.

Coleman kept him involved – "he was brilliant when I was injured; I went on a few of the camps just to be with the boys and do a bit of rehab there" – but the pain of missing out on much of Burnley's Premier League adventure remains. He started only five games.

"It was obviously a big thing missing out on the Premier League season with Burnley and missing the qualifiers with Wales was massive too," he admits. "But it is what it is. I came back from that and managed to get some games under my belt."

A new season brings fresh hope and Vokes came on to head home a late equaliser at Leeds on the opening day of the season. Now it's a case of getting back to full fitness and rediscovering the form he was in before the injury. "It was great to score," he says.

"It was my first goal since the injury when I did my knee the best part of 18 months ago. I've been playing catch up with minutes on the pitch but I'm raring to go now. I think personally getting a good pre-season has helped. It was good to get that and I just want to build on it."

Vokes found the net 20 times in Burnley's promotion-winning season, only one fewer than strike partner Danny Ings. Having been denied the chance to show his own best form in the top flight, few will be more curious than Vokes to see how his old pal gets on at Anfield.

"I don't see why he can't do well at Liverpool," says Vokes. "It's a massive step up but he did very well in a team that got relegated. It's a great move for him and one that he has earned. It's exciting for him to get his chance. I've kept in touch with him and he's a good lad."

Even without Ings, there will be expectations on Burnley to make a Premier League return given the increased funding that their season there will bring and while it's been a tough start, Vokes remains confident that they can succeed.

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"We've lost a couple but it's a similar side to the one in the Premier League," he says. "We're a strong group and we've been through a lot. The atmosphere around the place is important. We know how we work over the past two or three years and it's been successful.

"It's a bit different because we were probably underdogs when we got promoted last time. Now we're coming down from the Premier League so people are looking at us in a different light. It's a long season with Saturday-Tuesdays and no easy games.

"But the big challenge is for us to bounce back. There are a lot of names that get thrown into the hat in the Championship but we have the experience now. The gaffer has built a strong squad that works how he wants to work and everyone buys into that."

In a sense, it's similar to life with the national team. The key difference is that the team ethic that everyone has bought into at Wales revolves around their star man. Coleman has built the side around Bale and it is reaping dividends.

"Obviously Bale is the outstanding player," says Vokes. "He's a match-winner for us and he changes games. He's a world-class player but we've got a lot of players playing at a high level of football now, which is brilliant and can only be good for Welsh football."

With crucial qualifiers coming up against Cyprus and Israel, you could say the same about Sam Vokes getting back to his best. "That's what I want to get back to," he says. "I want to get back to scoring goals." Nicosia on Thursday would be a good place to start.

Watch Cyprus v Wales live on Sky Sports 1 HD this Thursday from 7pm