IF JOEY Barton does decide to leave Burnley and sign for Rangers then it is going to be a massive blow for the Clarets.

It caught me by surprise when the stories broke on Saturday and then it sounded like a deal was imminent.

Barton was in the Championship team of the year and was voted Burnley’s player of the year by the supporters. He will be a huge miss.

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He has already been shown around Rangers’ training ground and he could be tempted by a longer deal at Ibrox if he has only been offered one more year at Turf Moor.

Frank McParland, the head of recruitment at Rangers, will have been a very influential figure in Joey considering a move up there and it was McParland who played a key role in bringing him to Turf Moor.

If he decides to go I will say good luck to him. He came here with a bad reputation and left with a Championship winner’s medal and the backing of the Clarets fans who had fallen for him and voted him as player of the year.

He has been the man who has conducted the whole operation in the middle of the park this season. He was a great signing and I just hope he stays as he will be very difficult to replace.

On a brighter note, Tom Heaton has got his place in England’s Euro 2016 squad and it is fully deserved. I am delighted for him.

He has had another tremendous season for Burnley and Roy Hodgson obviously had no hesitation in selecting him for the squad.

I just hope he gets his first cap in one of the warm-up friendlies now, it will be a great moment for him and for Burnley if he can achieve that.

He’s had a great year as captain and I’m sure former skipper Jason Shackell is now regretting his move away.

He left saying he had unfinished business with Derby but I’m sure he’s casting an envious glance at the club he left behind who have gone up as champions and are back in the Premier League.

Derby were beaten 3-0 at home in the first leg of their play-off semi-final and it was another day to forget for Shackell who scored an own goal.

It looks like Derby will be staying in the Championship this season. That’s not the case for the Clarets though and what a great day it was last Monday as the team finally got their hands on the Championship trophy and their medals, even if Barton and James Tarkorwski had to wait to get theirs.

It was great to see so many fans out and a perfect way to end a great season.

An occasion like that is one the players will remember forever and they looked to be making the most of it and enjoying their open-top bus parade.