MICHAEL Duff’s testimonial is just a few days away, and I’m looking forward to the chance to celebrate a fantastic Clarets career - one that is still ongoing.

He came here in 2004 for just £30,000. What an absolute bargain!

He has not always been a regular in the starting line-up in his time at Turf Moor but seems to have got better with age, and that has been reflected in the number of appearances he made in the promotion and Premier League seasons.

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He formed a solid partnership alongside Jason Shackell. Not many forwards got past those two. I rated them highly.

Now that partnership has been broken up but I’m sure Sean Dyche will be able to nurture a new one.

Persistence and money prevailed to lure Shackell back to Derby County.

The manager had no option but to let him go as Shackell had told him he did not want to be at Burnley.

In the defender’s own words he was delighted to sign for Derby, so his heart was not at Turf Moor.

He will be happy looking at his bank balance too with the lucrative terms Derby have offered him It’s a shame really, for he was a very good skipper and stopper but at his age money played a big part.

After losing some big players in Shackell, Kieran Trippier and Danny Ings, who has made a good start to his Liverpool career, I’m hoping there won’t be any more departures. Replacements are what we need.

I don’t know a great deal about Chris Long but he is a welcome acquisition.

The fact that Everton were prepared to offer him a new contract and wanted to keep him is a positive sign.

Things have started to look a little less favourable on the Henri Lansbury front with the Clarets running into obstacles.

He is a long-standing target but offers have been rebuffed and Dougie Freedman wants him to stay at Nottingham Forest.

We have had a mixed bag of results in pre-season with the defeat at Accrington Stanley followed up by a win at Rangers.

A spate of injuries among the strikers hasn’t done the manager any favours as he can’t change his formation and personnel up front, and the 3-2 defeat at Chesterfield was a consequence of that.

The arrival of Long should help in that department.

As well as new signings we need a new captain.

My suggestion would be to make Michael Duff the man to toss the coin as reward for being the ultimate professional, and loyal servant.