DAMIAN Matthew has slapped in a shock Turf Moor transfer request.

And the Lancashire Evening Telegraph can exclusively reveal tonight that Burnley have agreed to circulate Matthew's name.

Matthew had a head-to-head meeting with player-manager Chris Waddle after he became increasingly unhappy at his lack of first team opportunities.

And Waddle has now indicated that Matthew is not part of his long-term plans.

Assistant manager Glenn Roeder confirmed today: "We have circulated Damian Matthew's name to other clubs after the board of directors agreed to his request.

"We've already had one club asking about him but they have not followed up their initial interest." A £65,000 buy from Crystal Palace in the summer of 1996, Matthew was recently dropped from the Burnley side.

The former England under-21 international has not featured in the squad for several games.

Matthew - who played for the B team in Saturday's 3-3 draw with Liverpool B at Gawthorpe - refused to comment on the surprise development.

Meanwhile, Burnley face a tricky FA Cup first round tie against Third Division Rotherham United on November 15 - a tie which brings ex-Clarets skipper Steve Thompson face to face with his former club.

Roeder added: "We would have preferred a home tie, and it is a game we will be expected to win.

"Of course Rotherham will make it difficult for us on their own ground but it is up to us to go there and make it equally difficult for them."

Saturday's disappointing 2-2 draw with Bournemouth moved Burnley off the foot of the Division Two table for the first time since August.

Roeder added: "Unfortunately we were punished for bad defending for the first goal, although we were a little bit unlucky not to have won the game."

THE B team staged a dramatic second half fightback against Liverpool B. 3-0 adrift at half-time, a double from Colin Carr-Lawton and a Phil Eastwood strike gave the Clarets a point.

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