SEAN Dyche has hailed the impact of David Jones on Burnley’s recent successes but admitted the Clarets were unable to match the length of contract on offer from Sheffield Wednesday.

The 31-year-old departed Turf Moor this week after three years with the club and two promotions to the Premier League.

The move to the Owls came after Wednesday activated a release clause in the two-year deal he signed last summer.

Jones was then offered a three-year contract at Hillsborough, and while Dyche was keen to offer something to the former Manchester United youngster, he couldn’t compete with the security on offer from the Yorkshire club.

“His contract was running out. We would have offered him a stronger contract and a longer contract but it wouldn’t have been three years,” said Dyche.

“It’s not club policy but it’s just the way I would have seen it. I explained that to him.

“He’s a fantastic fella. He’s a man, he acts older than his age, he’s very mature and very professional, and he totally understood the situation. He felt it was right for him to make the jump now.

“I told him he’d been fantastic. We wish him well. There’s a time when you have to allow players a say in what they do and he’d earned that right with me.”

Jones made 131 appearances for Burnley and started on the opening day of the Premier League season against Swansea, before getting a call from his agent on Monday morning to say the Owls had matched the release clause in his contract.

Last week the midfielder had sung the praises of teammate and former United trainee Tom Heaton, with the pair having known each other since the age of 10.

And yesterday Dyche revealed that Heaton, who arrived at Turf Moor in May 2013, had played a key role in bringing Jones into the club later that summer.

“We brought him in on a free transfer, he’d been let down by a few clubs and Tom Heaton said he was sat at home waiting for a club and I said get him in tomorrow. The rest is history and an important part of his history and ours,” said the Clarets chief.

“He had a clause in his contract he could activate and he did. He had the security of a longer term contract and it must be said at a good club. He’s a man, not a boy and he knows what he wants out of life for him and his family. I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s been exceptional for us.”

Jones has been a model professional during his successful spell with the Clarets.

His two promotions to the top flight at Turf Moor took him to four overall, having also achieved the feat with Derby and Wolves.

Helping Wednesday to the Premier League this season - they missed out in the play-off final last term - will see him equal Kevin Phillips’ record of five.

And while Dyche believes Jones will be a loss for Burnley he insists the move is a good one for the player, who can help Wednesday’s promotion battle with his Championship experience.

“It’s a loss to us but it was appropriate for him at this time and at his age with his experience,” added Dyche.