He doesn’t yet own a car – let alone becoming the latest member of the Premier League’s Baby Bentley set – yet Australian export Aiden O’Neill is rapidly clicking through the gears as his career picks up pace at the age of 18.

The Burnley midfielder, who has already made three senior appearances this season – two of which were in the Premier league – has cemented a place in the Clarets' first team squad and is hoping to enter the consideration of Australia coach Ange Postecoglou.

The Queenslander, who cut his teeth with Brisbane Athletic before leaving with his parents Greg and Kerry to chase his dreams in England, is blessed with time on his side as flies the flag for an endangered species: Australians playing in the Premier League.

Still living at home with his transplanted family, O’Neill is a tireless box-to-box workaholic who puts in extras every day after training in bid to grow his game.

Far from star struck, despite coming on late against Liverpool and earning a 30-minute cameo against Chelsea’s superstars, he remains happily grounded.

“I don’t even own a car, my mum and dad drop me off most of the time or one of my teammates with car-pool me to training and home,” O’Neill said. “I’m not planning on getting a new car for a while, there’s no need to.

“You see the Bentleys and the Range Rovers in the club car park, and I am sure that if I am keep going things like that will come to me.

"But I am only 18 and I don’t want to be going around thinking I am the bee’s knees. I just want to keep my head down and keep doing the same things that have got me into the position I am in now."

O’Neill knows, though, that if he keeps progressing at such a rate he could well land an upgrade on the recently signed contract which runs until mid-2019.

He is immensely proud to have been handed game time by Burnley coach Sean Dyche this season in what amounts to a massive statement of faith, and it was only the $30 million arrival of record signing Steven Detour from Anderlecht which saw him miss out on a place on the bench for last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Hull City.

Instead, O’Neill played for the Under-23 on Tuesday (AEST) and is hoping to get another Premier League peek for the trip to face reigning champion Leicester City on Sunday (AEST).

“I will be very happy to get some more game time. The level of the Premier League is something else and you have to be really on it,” he said.

O’Neill knows the Socceroos are brimming with midfield talent and that jostling his way into the mix won’t be easy.

“I am still young and there’s a long career hopefully ahead but I'd to be a part of the national team in one day,” he said. “Hopefully the fact I’ve had a taste of the Premier League now and that I am in and around the Burnley first team squad will get me noticed a bit.

“But I need to keep working hard and improving, and that’s what I plan to do this season. I stay behind after almost every session practicing my long balls and other passing drills, and I do extra gym work.

“I think I’ve developed massively since I was back in Brisbane. Mentally I have also grown up a lot. I have worked very hard work and in some ways it's not a shock (to have broken through) because of all that hard work.

“I have been in every squad this season, and I have to be happy with that.

"The difference between playing for the under 23's to the Premier League is big: you are up against players who are playing for mortgages and stuff; it’s not kid’s football anymore.

”You are up against players who know what’s happening before it’s happened."

With four points from its opening four games, newly-promoted Burnley is sitting 15th and digging in for what it knows will be a difficult season back in the top tier.

“We're a hard working team, very close knit. We know we have to battle for wins and we have to make sure we’re very tough to beat," O'Neill said.