Liam Boyce will be keen to get off the mark as soon as he can for Burton Albion - and Andy Garner hopes a few goals in pre-season will help with that.

The Brewers' club-record signing joined up with his new teammates for his first day of training on Monday, after enjoying a break following his international duties last month.

Boyce found the net 23 times for Ross County in the Scottish Premiership last season, topping the goal-scoring charts at the expense of Celtic duo Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele.

Albion hope the Northern Ireland striker can replicate that goal-scoring form for them in the Championship in 2017/18.

While then-record signing Jackson Irvine bagged 10 in his debut season and Lloyd Dyer contributed seven from the left flank, the Brewers' top-scoring striker last term was Fulham loanee Cauley Woodrow with five, while the versatile Lucas Akins - who played in a range of positions - also hit five.

Target man Chris O'Grady was one of Albion's most influential players in the first half of the campaign and produced some game-winning displays in leading the Brewers' line. However, he scored only once in a Burton shirt - and it took him 21 games to get off the mark.

Garner knows Boyce will be pushing to break his Brewers' duck a great deal quicker than that - and finding the net in the upcoming friendlies can certainly ensure he carries last season's goalscoring confidence across to the Pirelli Stadium.

"He's had a couple of great years, he's been banging goals in all the time - he still has the confidence," said the Albion coach.

Liam Boyce celebrates scoring his first international goal for Northern Ireland

"I'm sure, like with any striker, he'll be looking for that first goal for Burton Albion to get him off the mark. Strikers always do.

"We had it a little bit with Chris O'Grady last season when he didn't score, and then it goes longer and longer and game after game, and you don't really want that.

"So he'll be looking to get up and running early doors after pre-season.

"In a few games in pre-season, hopefully he can get a few there as well to get a bit of confidence, and then hopefully his first league goal for Burton won't be very long coming."

With Albion breaking their club transfer record to sign Boyce this summer - for a fee believed to be in the region of £500,000 - there could be some pressure on the 26-year-old to deliver the goals he has done with such regularity over recent seasons.

But Garner is quick to state that the circumstances of his transfer will mean nothing once he takes to the field.

"We've spent a bit of money on him, but we've told him that has got nothing to do with it, the fee or anything like that," added Garner.

Liam Boyce in his Ross County days

"You're a striker, you're paid to score goals - and hopefully that's what he'll do for us.

"He's done it the last couple of years in his career, he's got into the international squad.

"We've looked at him for a long, long time and we hope he is one of those strikers who we know what he's about - getting into the box, a few tap-ins this season will be very nice for him, that's for sure."