It is a rarity for a manager to do anything other than defend the arrogance of his earring-wearing players, but Roberto Martínez is encouraging the youngsters at Wigan Athletic to follow the cocky example set by Hugo Rodallega.

Signed as a replacement for Emile Heskey in a £4.5 million move from Necaxa, the Colombia forward, 24, took his time to settle, but three goals in May have been followed by five more this season — five more than Heskey has managed this term.

What also sets Rodallega apart from Heskey is the way that he has embraced life on the left flank. He has played behind Jason Scotland, the lone striker, in recent weeks and as well as scoring regularly, with two more wrecking Burnley’s fine run at home, he helps to stop right backs from pushing forward.

After Steven Fletcher’s opener for Burnley, Rodallega’s first might have been easy, tapping into an empty net after Brian Jensen, the goalkeeper, slipped and twisted an ankle as he attempted to deal with Mario Melchiot’s sliced cross, but the second goal showed real class, a firm, first-time shot from 20 yards that flew in off a post. Emerson Boyce scored the third.

“He’s very, very arrogant, in the right way, and a great example for all the kids,” Martínez said. “He feels he’s going to score in any game. On the first day he told me he wanted to score 15 goals. I said, ‘If you score 15 goals I don’t think I’ll be able to work with you for too long.’ He’s perfect in his preparation and he’s showing what he’s capable of.”

Steven Caldwell, the Burnley captain, wants to copy the way Stoke City dealt with setbacks last season when his team face Hull at Turf Moor next weekend. “They didn’t let the really disappointing days get to them, they tried to put them to bed as quickly as possible and they bounced back,” Caldwell said. “We’ve got to learn quickly because the standards are so high.”

Burnley (4-1-4-1): B Jensen (sub: D Penny, 15min 6) — T Mears 5, C Carlisle 6, S Caldwell 5, S Jordan 7 — G Alexander 6 — C Eagles 5, W Elliott 7, A Bikey 7 (sub: K McDonald, 82), R Blake 7 (sub: D Nugent, 67 6) — S Fletcher 7. Substitutes not used: M Duff, K McDonald, J Gudjonsson, S Thompson, F Guerrero. Booked: Alexander, Carlisle.

Wigan Athletic (4-2-3-1): C Kirkland 6 — M Melchiot 7, E Boyce 7, T Bramble 6, M Figueroa 6 (sub: J Gómez, 28 7) — H Thomas 7, M Diamé 7 — C N’Zogbia 6, P Scharner 7 (sub: M King, 78), H Rodallega 8 — J Scotland 7. Substitutes not used: Cho Won Hee, J Koumas, M Pollitt, S Sinclair, O Kapo.

Referee: L Mason Attendance: 19,430