Vincent Kompany: Hamburg prepared me to lead Burnley out of relegation battle

The Clarets have just one point from five league matches since Kompany guided them back to the top flight and their search for a first win continues at Newcastle on Saturday.

However, the 37-year-old Belgian said overcoming bigger battles as a young player at Hamburg, following his move from first club Anderlecht, helped steel him for future success.

Kompany said: "You talk about life in general. At Hamburg I was the biggest signing there in the history of the club and I got there and was injured straightaway.

"I tore my Achilles tendon and was out for nine months, my mother passed away in that time, my sister got cancer and the club was fighting against relegation.

"They (Hamburg) came from the Champions League, but all the big players, I think it was Nigel de Jong, Jerome Boateng and Rafael van der Vaart, everyone was injured at the same time, so the squad we assembled was not playing.

"We were playing against relegation. I spent Christmas at the club, working out hard on my own because what's the point going home and stuff like this, but eventually you get out of it.

"That's my story. Everybody's got a different story, but those are the moments where I know, like 'OK, this is what I did in these moments'."

Kompany's mother Jocelyne died from cancer in 2008, while sister Christel recovered from her own fight against the disease.

"She came through yes, Christel," Kompany said. "If you talk about character and strength of character, she's an incredible woman, yeah."

The former Manchester City captain won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups during his time at the club.

"At the end of it people want to talk about success and the trophies and stuff, but my journey was much more complicated than the trophies you see me lift at the end," he said.

"So I feel I'm actually good for these positions. I'm good to be the guy when you have success that keeps saying it's not enough.

"But I'm also good in moments where it's up against you and you keep believing, you keep going. That's in my nature."

His two-year spell at Hamburg was his toughest as a player "by some distance" and helped shape a young man in his early 20s into the leader he went on to become.

"You go from this super-talent with all these bad habits as well, where you think you're better than you really are," he added.

"But I don't complain, I don't regret. I was lucky to learn these lessons when I was young enough to still do something about it."

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