---
title: "Total Duds: Diego Penny’s first few minutes at Burnley set the tone for two underwhelming years"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/burnley-diego-penny-transfer-duds-signing/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Burnley"
published: "2020-08-09T16:30:22Z"
modified: "2020-08-09T16:30:22Z"
---

# Total Duds: Diego Penny’s first few minutes at Burnley set the tone for two underwhelming years

**This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.**

Burnley goalkeeper [Nick Pope](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/burnley-fc-transfer-rumours/burnley-nick-pope-transfer-target-chelsea/) may have just missed out on the Premier League Golden Glove in 2019/20, his [15 clean sheets one short](https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/clean_sheet) of Manchester City’s Ederson, but that hasn’t stopped Chelsea from taking a rather keen interest in the England international (as per [90min.com](https://www.90min.com/posts/exclusive-chelsea-continuing-to-scout-nick-pope-as-search-for-new-goalkeeper-ramps-up?view_source=categories_page&view_medium=%5Btransfer)).

Just as he [made his country’s World Cup squad](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44138600) two years ago, fellow ‘keeper Tom Heaton also earned a major tournament call-up as a Clarets player when he was [selected by Roy Hodgson for the Three Lions’ Euro 2016 squad](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/16/england-euro-2016-squad-23-picked-roy-hodgson).

Burnley haven’t always had such glittering luck with the goalkeeping position, though. In 2008, Owen Coyle [landed Peruvian number one Diego Penny](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/7472268.stm) from Coronel Bolognesi in his homeland and was [thrown straight into the team](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7540956.stm) on the opening day of the Championship season, when the Clarets travelled to Sheffield Wednesday.

## Burnley’s signing of Diego Penny went wrong from the start

Inside the first five minutes of his debut in England, he conceded twice and Burnley were hammered 4-1 at Hillsborough (as per [BBC](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7540956.stm)). Despite Coyle [being hugely determined](https://theathletic.co.uk/1813717/2020/05/16/diego-penny-peru-burnley/) to land the giant goalkeeper, who is [just under two metres tall](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/diego-penny/profil/spieler/72671), he was benched for the next game and [did not make another appearance all season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/diego-penny/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/72671/verein/1132), with Brian Jensen instead the Clarets’ number one as they ended the campaign with a first promotion to the Premier League.

To Penny’s credit, though, he did not kick up a fuss, instead proving to be a very popular figure away from the football pitch with his Turf Moor team-mates (as per [The Athletic](https://theathletic.co.uk/1813717/2020/05/16/diego-penny-peru-burnley/)). His patience paid off as he was given a [couple of League Cup appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/diego-penny/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/72671/verein/1132) in 2009/10, a 2-1 extra time win over Hartlepool and a 3-2 defeat to Barnsley. [Four goal conceded in two games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/diego-penny/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/72671/verein/1132) against lower-league opposition wasn’t the strongest case to make in terms of displacing Jensen.

The Peruvian can always claim to be a Premier League player, though, replacing ‘The Beast’ after the Clarets’ first choice went off injured against Wigan in October 2009. It was 1-1 when Penny took to the pitch…and 3-1 to the Latics at full-time (as per [The Athletic](https://theathletic.co.uk/1813717/2020/05/16/diego-penny-peru-burnley/)).

### The end of Diego Penny’s time at Burnley

[Coyle’s contentious departure](https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/4874085.judas-burnley-fans-call-moses-says-coyle/) for Bolton midway through that season and the subsequent appointment of Brian Laws proved a fateful moment in the giant goalkeeper’s career in Lancashire. The new manager signed Lee Grant and banished Penny to train with the reserve team (as per [The Athletic](https://theathletic.co.uk/1813717/2020/05/16/diego-penny-peru-burnley/)).

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That was the trigger for the Peruvian to call time on his stay at Burnley, [returning home to join Juan Aurich](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/8919225.stm) in August 2010 on a free transfer. In two years at Turf Moor, he only made four appearances, failed to keep a clean sheet and conceded nine goals (as per [TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/diego-penny/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/72671/verein/1132)).

Penny’s attitude may have been commendable – he even [managed to be circumspect](https://theathletic.co.uk/1813717/2020/05/16/diego-penny-peru-burnley/) about his treatment from Laws – but on the rare occasions that he got his chance, he wasn’t able to make the most of it, hence a low-key departure after two underwhelming years in England.

***Burnley fans, do you feel that Penny simply wasn’t good enough for the Clarets? Have your say by commenting below!***