Scott Parker hailed his Burnley players for delivering a statement result in his first game at the helm as they thrashed Luton Town 4-1 in their Championship opener.

Parker took over as Clarets boss in July following Vincent Kompany’s move to Bayern Munich, tasked with masterminding an immediate return to the Premier League after they finished 19th last season.

His reign began with a trip to Kenilworth Road to face Luton, who were relegated alongside Burnley last term and have also been tipped to compete for promotion.

Goals from Josh Brownhill, Wilson Odobert, Dara O’Shea and Vitinho saw the visitors record an eye-catching win, taking them second in the early-season Championship standings, behind Sheffield Wednesday.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Parker expressed pride in his players for the way they carried out his gameplan, saying: “A lot of hard work goes in, but you never really know until you reach this point where you are.

“This week has been intense in terms of our gameplan and how to get a result.

“I’ve got nothing but praise. As a coach it was very enjoyable to see. This is a big result, it’s a tough place to come.

“We had to show a different side to us in certain moments. I said to the players, at times, we’re going to have to revert back to men. I was proud of that.”

The boss enjoyed that one pic.twitter.com/C7RhT3cDMY

— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) August 12, 2024

Luton boss Rob Edwards, meanwhile, was left to lament defensive shortcomings after seeing a youthful Hatters backline cut open time and again.

“I’m not going to sugar-coat it. We have to deal with our vulnerabilities better,” Edwards said.

“There wasn’t much in the game first half, we conceded from two poor moments and then obviously the scoreline affects everyone’s emotions.

“We’ll progress, get better, some key players will return and we’ll get one or two in as well. We’ve got to accept it and appreciate we’re going to improve in the coming weeks.”