PLAYED FOR BOTH: GRAHAM ALEXANDER

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Ahead of Tuesday’s visit to Luton Town we caught up with the former Burnley and Luton defender

2023-10-03T10:00:00.000Z

PLAYED FOR BOTH: GRAHAM ALEXANDER

Ahead of Tuesday’s visit to Luton Town we caught up with the former Burnley and Luton defender

2023-10-03T10:00:00.000Z

Ahead of Tuesday’s visit to Luton Town we caught up with the former Burnley and Luton defender

Graham Alexander spent four years at Turf Moor and achieved ‘many momentous occasions’ as the former Clarets skipper described his time at Burnley.

The Scotsman arrived at Burnley in 2007 from Preston North End and went on to make 177 appearances in Claret & Blue including a promotion to the Premier League in his second season at the Club.

Speaking ahead of the Clarets’ trip to Luton Town, where Alexander spent four years between 1995-1999, the former full-back reminisced his time in the top-flight with Burnley and some of the landmarks and achievements.

Talking to burnleyfootballclub.com, the current MK Dons manager, said: “The standout moment for me at Burnley was that final whistle at Wembley and winning promotion to the Premier League, without a shadow of a doubt.

“It was 20 years of competing and trying to get to that level and that moment was just heaven. I had a few momentous days there, like playing my 1000th game at Turf Moor but getting to the Premier League was the one for me.

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Alexander added: "A lot of my landmarks are for being old! I’m the oldest Premier League debutant being just two months short of 38.

“I’m still the oldest player to score a brace in the Premier League, that was for Burnley at Hull. I was captain for the first ever Premier League game too at Stoke as Steve (Caldwell) was injured at the time.

“The first home game was then against Manchester United, leading the team out with Ryan Giggs leading Manchester United out and we went on to win 1-0. It was just memory after memory over that my time there."

Alexander believes the Turf Moor crowd played a huge role in the Clarets' success over the years when playing for Burnley.

“We were unbelievable at Turf Moor around that time. The season the before the Premier League we got the league cup final too.

“Our belief and the environment & atmosphere created between the team and the supporters at Turf Moor was unreal. We thought we could actually take on anyone and we proved it.

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“Our record at home was fantastic. We played Everton just three days later after the United game and beat them too and it was like we got the Premier League up and going.

“We really just felt unbeatable at that time, it was special."

Before Alexander arrived at Turf Moor, the former Scotland international spent four years at Luton Town prior to his move to Preston.

Following the Hatters' promotion via the play-offs in the summer against Coventry City, Alexander had high praise for his former side and their 10-year rise from non-league to the topflight.

"The play-off final between the two clubs were a bit weird for me. Luton is my former club and Coventry is my hometown club. I was in quite a neutral position, in terms of whoever won I would have been happy for.

“What Luton have been through over the past 15 years, to come back like this is full credit to them and an amazing achievement.

“They have kept a lot of their players and a similar squad. I see they have an unbelievable team spirit and belief within their squad and fans.

“It’s great to see though, it really is. I think they were related the year the Premier League was formed and it’s been a really tough time for them but it shows what teams can do from non-league to the Premier League in a 10-year spell is fantastic."