CLARETS captain Steven Caldwell believes Burnley could be play-off contenders this season.

The 26-year-old Scotland international, who arrived at Turf Moor from Sunderland in the January transfer window, believes he and his team-mates are prepared for the rigours of the Championship after benefiting from a full pre-season together.

Burnley kick-off the 2007/08 season today at home to promotion favourites West Bromwich Albion, who made Southampton midfielder Pele their ninth summer signing this week.

And Caldwell is confident the summer signings of Gabor Kiraly, Besart Berisha, Robbie Blake and Stephen Jordan will give the Clarets enough strength in depth to also mount a challenge.

"I'm always a very optimistic person and I certainly see play-offs for us," he said.

"I think that we have a better squad - fantastic team. Our first eleven I think is very strong, I think as strong as anybody in the league and our squad's improving.

"I'm sure the manager would maybe like to improve it a little bit more to be up there with the bigger teams in the league. That's obvious.

"But I think play-offs at worst for us, and hopefully if we can get into the automatic places, as Derby have shown, you can hang about there and the confidence increases.

"In this league it's about runs for me, and if you go on a positive run it's hard to get beat.

"As we know, unfortunately, to go on a negative run it's hard to get a win, so we have to be aware of things like that. But play-offs, certainly."

He added: "A good bunch of lads have come in. Blakey, as we know has been here before.

"Most people know Blakey from different places in his career and I think he's a fantastic signing because of the quality he possesses as a player and the type of person he is.

"The foreign lads have been excellent also.

"Besart's settled right in and seems a really nice lad, he speaks good English, and Gabor has obviously been in England for a while.

"He's an older lad and a different personality. Gabor's probably a bit quieter but he's bonded well.

"He tends to keep himself to himself whereas Besart likes to be involved with whatever's going on."