Tom Heaton's shoulder injury has kept him out for almost a year

Tom Heaton admits he is open to leaving Burnley in January as he seeks a return to regular first-team football.

The 32-year-old has struggled for minutes this season after recovering from a long-term shoulder injury that kept him out for almost a year, and he is one of three England goalkeepers resident at Turf Moor.

The Clarets signed Joe Hart in the summer after Nick Pope suffered a serious shoulder injury of his own in a Europa League qualifier and Heaton, who still holds the club's No 1 shirt, says it has been "tough" to take.

Burnley captain Heaton is helped off after dislocating his shoulder

"It doesn't need a rocket scientist to see that it's going to be difficult to fit us all in," he told the Mirror.

"Come the January transfer window, I've got to keep my ­options open. The one thing I've been consistent about in my career is moving clubs in order to play games.

"I felt really at it; back to 100 per cent [at the start of the season]. Then I picked up a slight calf injury and I ended up missing the Europa League games against ­Aberdeen.

Joe Hart and Heaton during a training session at Barnfield Training Centre

"Popey played in them and then he suffered the same injury as me, so the manager decided he would bring in Joe Hart.

"Joe was thrown in against Basaksehir in the Europa League, [and] the manager then kept him in for the first Premier League game of the season at Southampton, which was frustrating for me.

Heaton's current contract at Burnley expires in 2020

"I can't lie. That was tough. ­Obviously, I knew Joe well and have great respect for him, but, to be perfectly honest, I was ­expecting to play."

Heaton, who has three caps for England, joined Burnley in 2013 and was No 1 in their two promotion-winning sides of 2014 and 2016. His contract expires in 2020.