WHAT terrible news for Ashley Barnes, and for Burnley, that the striker is facing much of next season on the treatment table and in rehab.

And for it to happen in the last game of the season too, when he would have been looking forward to some rest and relaxation before it all starts again.

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Now there is a long road ahead. But he will be in good hands, and unfortunately for Kevin Long and Dean Marney suffering similar injuries earlier in the season, he will have company.

I’m sure they will be good for each other and help each other along, but when you throw the now-recovered Sam Vokes into that mix, four cruciates in just over a year is a frightening amount and really hard luck on the club.

They will have to be patient with him, and the others, because injuries like that can take their toll on the body, and sometimes the mind. You need mental and physical strength to get through it. But the club will give him all he needs.

We would have been looking to Barnes to help fire us back to the Premier League.

With Danny Ings on his way we were already looking at attacking targets, and now the quota might be doubled.

On a happier note it was great to sign off at Aston Villa with a win, although with seven points from nine in the last three games you couldn’t help but look back over the rest of the season at games we drew that we should have won and games we lost that we should have got something from.

We had a great opportunity, but it’s all ifs and buts now. We can only look forward, and it’s possible that our strong end to the season can bode well.

Of course, there will be changes to the squad.

Two are guaranteed with Ings leaving and Steven Reid retiring.

I remember my last game, I scored for Oldham in a 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe.

I didn’t know it was my last at the time, but for the first time in my career I was released on the Monday.

Even at the age of 42 it still hurt, so goodness knows what it’s like for lads a lot younger, like Reid, ending their careers.

I had 18 fantastic years so as much as I wanted it to, I knew it couldn’t go on forever.

It’s a sad time coming to the end of your career.

Which leads me to the end of my column – my last for the Lancashire Telegraph.

I’ve really enjoyed giving my take on the Turf over the last six years, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it.

Work commitments mean I can’t get to as many games as I feel I need to in order to offer an insight, so I’m signing off. But I’ll always be a Claret.