NEW Albion signing Oliver Norwood is desperate for Dale Stephens to stay – even though he is a Burnley fan.

They could start together in midfield against Colchester United in the League Cup at the Amex tonight, providing Stephens recovers from a training knock.

Burnley-born and bred Norwood wants Stephens to remain a team-mate in spite of the persistent transfer interest from his home town club. The Northern Ireland international told The Argus: “I’ve been a Burnley fan but I 100 per cent want him to stay here.

“It would be better for us if he does.

“I can’t speak for Dale, I don’t know about that, I can only say from my point of view he’s a fantatstic footballer. I haven’t enjoyed playing against him much.

“He’s a very nice lad as well. We’re both from up north, not far from each other.

“I’ve played against Dale when he was at Charlton and I remember him from the reserves at (Manchester) United when he was at Oldham. We’ve played against each other quite a lot and come across each other quite a lot.

“Hopefully he stays at the club, because if you lose a player of that quality it would hurt any team. Last year him and Beram (Kayal) were brilliant.

“As a player looking from the outside you want that competition and to be playing with good players. That’s what excited me about this move.”

Albion acted swiftly to land Norwood, who surprisingly had not been offered a new contract by Reading with only a year remaining on his deal.

The former Huddersfield turn to page 42 midfielder says he enjoyed his time at the Madejski Stadium and was treated well by the club and fans but confirmed: “There was never any contract offered or any inkling there would be. It is what it is.

“I missed two league games last year, that was it. Obviously they’ve got different agendas, it’s football, one of those things.

“If they had offered me a contract what would I have done? I don’t know, because I was never put in that situation. The Brighton move came about really quickly and it was one I took with both hands.