In the summer of 2009 Alexander signed a one-year contract extension at Turf Moor.

Burnley completed the signing of  the defender from Preston North End in August 2007.

The 35-year-old Scottish international had only just celebrated his 400th appearance for North End when he agreed a two-year deal with the Clarets.

Burnley paid Preston an initial £100,000 with a further £100,000 payable in the summer of 2008.

He was mainly deployed as a defensive midfielder during the 2008/09 season in which he played a vital role in Burnley's promotion and cup campaigns.

Alexander was an ever-present, starting every single game for the Clarets, totalling up to sixty-one appearances and scoring eleven goals along the way.

The dead-ball specialist bagged a brace in a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in September 2008 to give the Clarets an important first win of the season and bagged his eleventh of the season in the play-off semi-final first leg 1-0 victory over Reading in May 2009.

Coventry-born Alexander began his career at Scunthorpe, where he made almost 200 appearances before joining Luton Town in 1995.

In four years at Kenilworth Road, he played a further 180 games before starting a long and fruitful association with Preston in 1999.

At Deepdale, Alexander made the right full back slot his own and found the net frequently as a dead ball specialist, especially from the penalty spot.

Preston's longest serving player, who was voted in the PFA's Championship Team of the Season for 2004/05, scored 63 goals for the Lilywhites, reaching the milestone of 100 career goals in November of last season.

He qualified for international honours through his Scottish father, making his debut against Nigeria in April 2002 aged 31 and contonuing to be a regular in Walter Smith's squad for the 2008 European Championship qualifiers.