EX-Claret David Hamilton reckons the East Lancashire derby is as big as any game in football - and admits the battles of local pride were the best matches to play in during his time at bitter rivals Rovers.

Hamilton was involved in two epic Blackburn v Burnley games during his time at Ewood Park in the early 80s before his move to Turf Moor towards the end of his career, and freely admits they were occasions to take the breath away.

And now he expects Sunday’s shoot-out to be just as intense as Owen Coyle’s Clarets look to break their away-day duck at the home of their most bitter rivals and end their 30 years of local hurt against the old enemy.

“The Blackburn v Burnley derby is a great, great game,” he said.

“It is as big a match as anything in football, certainly for the fans. Every area has its own derby but this is one big, special game.”

Hamilton’s first-hand experience of the derby came in the 1982/83 Second Division season when he played in both games at Rovers, completing a double to compound Burnley’s relegation misery.

“Wow, they were some matches,” he said. “There were 18,000 at Turf Moor on Boxing Day and 14,000 at Ewood at Easter and when Burnley went down at the end of the season we were disappointed because the atmosphere brings the best out of you and we knew we wouldn’t have those games the year after.

“We really missed the derby because of the atmosphere and the intensity. As a player you want to play in games like this, it is special, it’s what you play for.

“And to see the sides meeting in the Premier League makes it even better.

“It is great to see them going up against each other in the top flight, that is the perfect stage for this game.”

Hamilton crossed the 12-mile divide in 1990 and became one of a select band of men to have played for both teams.

He had left Ewood four years earlier and admitted: “I don’t think I could have gone straight from Rovers to Burnley.

“I am not too sure if the fans would have worn that one so I had spells at Chester and Wigan in between.

“It is the one regret in my career that I didn’t play for Burnley sooner. It’s a great club, in fact both Rovers and Burnley are great, well run clubs.

“The fans didn’t see the best of me when I was at Burnley. I had a few injuries but I really enjoyed it.

“I still remember my debut for Burnley when I came on as a sub at Turf Moor and I just wish I could have spent more time there.”

Sunday’s Ewood Park clash will see the Clarets look to beat Rovers for the first time since 1979 and also hunt their first points - and first goal - on the road since their promotion to the Premier League.