Graham Alexander celebrated promotion to the Premier League with Burnley on Monday after many years of trying. He may be 37, but he played more games than most and is a worthy winner. Clarky caught up with him for an exclusive chat.
Q: Was the win over Sheffield United the best moment of your career so far?
A: I would say it was the highlight of my career – so far. Hopefully there are a few more highlights to come next season in the Premier League. It was a great achievement for everyone at
Burnley, as for a club with our resources to reach the Premier League is testament to the effort everyone has put in.
Q: Apart from the fact you have good players - what is the reason behind Burnley's success?
A: The whole set up at Burnley is geared towards success. We don’t have any individuals – although we have some great attacking players – but we have a great team unit that work well together. It starts from the top with the manager and works all the way through the players and other members of staff. There is a huge desire to succeed and we used the least amount of players in the division last season, which proves that we were a really tight unit.
Q: Is this the first time that you will have payed in the Premier League?
A: I have never played there before and after 19 years as a professional I really wanted to take my chance in the play-off final. Everyone is desperate to play in the Premier League but I was more impatient than most. I always wanted to believe that I would finally get there but in my 37th year I had to realistically think I might not get there. That is why I am so pleased to be part of this success story.
Q: Are Stoke and Hull the template to follow next season?
A: Definitely, and especially Stoke as I think they survived by 11 points and were comfortable in the end. They stuck to their principles throughout the season and played in their own style and that is what we will do next season. We will continue to work hard and pass the ball and that will be the best way forward for us.
Q: Are you going to enjoy the celebrations throughout the town?
A: I am going to enjoy every minute and there has been one long celebration going on in Burnley since the final whistle blew. You need to enjoy the good times in football as I have been around long enough to know that they don’t happen very often. My last promotion was with
Preston about nine years ago, so we need to enjoy this and then set about preparing for next season in the Premier League.
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