Florentino Luís reveals Burnley lesson after £16m Ipswich move

Florentino Luís believes his difficult first season in the Premier League with Burnley has made him a better player as he begins a new chapter with Ipswich Town.

The 27-year-old midfielder joined Town during the summer for an initial £16million after spending last season at Turf Moor.

Burnley were eventually relegated to the Championship, but Florentino feels the experience taught him exactly what is required to survive in English football’s top flight.

Before arriving in England, Florentino had spent the majority of his career with Benfica, aside from loan spells in France and Spain.

He admits adapting to the speed of Premier League football initially proved difficult.

“When I came here last year, it was a bit difficult in the beginning to adapt to the game,” Florentino said.

“Once you know how things go and how fast you need to think, you get a better player.”

The midfielder believes Burnley’s relegation also taught him an important lesson about the demands facing clubs battling to stay in the division.

“You can never relax because other teams have the same goal to stay in the Premier League,” he added.

“We must know that just quality is not enough, we need to give everything.”

That experience could now prove valuable for Ipswich as Florentino attempts to help his new club establish themselves at the highest level.

Florentino also believes settling away from football can have a major impact on performances.

The father-of-three described his wife, children and friends as “pillars” in his life, with Ipswich’s relative proximity to Portugal allowing friends to visit regularly.

He feels the welcome his family has received provides additional motivation to repay the club with his performances.

His Christian faith is another major influence, with Florentino describing it as something that supports him every day both on and off the pitch.

Florentino represented Portugal extensively at youth level, collecting 84 caps across the country’s various age groups, but is still waiting for his senior debut.

That remains a major ambition.

“It’s a dream for me,” he said. “It’s one of my dreams to be a player for the national team of Portugal.”

With a generation of experienced Portuguese internationals approaching the latter stages of their careers, Florentino hopes opportunities will emerge.

“I think we’ll have more opportunities for the young players,” he added. “I’m fighting to have my place.”

Florentino now has an opportunity to use the lessons from Burnley to make a bigger impact during his second Premier League campaign.

His experience of a relegation battle could be particularly useful to Ipswich, with the midfielder stressing the importance of intensity in training and never relaxing at this level.

There is also an individual target in the background. After representing Portugal 84 times at youth level, Florentino still wants to complete his international journey by breaking into the senior squad.

Strong performances for Ipswich would be the clearest way to put himself into contention.