He suffered an ankle injury just before the final, but he overcame the injury to start at Wembley Stadium. Heaton followed his penalty heroics against Crystal Palace when he started the penalty shoot-out by pushing Steven Gerrard's effort onto the bar, but he ultimately ended up on the losing team as Liverpool won the shoot-out 3–2. Despite the successful cup run, Heaton still found himself second string to Marshall and was released at the end of the season after rejecting a new contract in the Welsh capital. Bristol City In July 2012, Heaton held talks with Watford over a potential move; however, Watford's new owners decided to pull out of the move. Later that month, Heaton went on trial with Bristol City during their pre-season training camp in Spain and they opened contract talks soon after. On 27 July, Heaton signed a one-year deal with the club, with the option for a further 12 months. He made his debut on 18 August 2012, in a 1–0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest. A disappointing season in Bristol led to the club owning the worst defensive record in the league with 84 goals allowed, and they were relegated at the end of the season. Heaton started 43 of Bristol City's 46 matches in the Championship that season, and was viewed as one of the club's best players that season. Burnley Heaton joined Burnley in May 2013, after turning down a further one-year deal at Bristol City. He decided to stay in the Championship, and Burnley offered Heaton a two-year contract attaching him to the club until June 2015, with an option of a third year. A target of manager Sean Dyche while at Watford, Dyche's first Burnley signing was described as a "good technician" with a "great pedigree". Heaton immediately became the first-choice goalkeeper for Burnley following the departures of Lee Grant and Brian Jensen. He made his Burnley debut against Bolton Wanderers on 3 August 2013. On 24 August, he was the recipient of a rare technical caution (his second of the match) for handling the ball after releasing it whilst playing against Brighton, a match they lost 2–0. Heaton was a part of Burnley's defence that allowed only 37 goals, the fewest in the league, as Burnley returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2009–10. Heaton also picked up 19 clean sheets, the most by any keeper