Clarets striker Robbie Blake has pledged his future to the club.

And Burnley chairman Barry Kilby insists top stars such as Blake and local hero Richard Chaplow will not be sold to finance a Turf Moor revolution.

Blake's contribution was priceless in helping Burnley maintain their First Division status last season, scoring a career-best 22 goals to help stave off relegation.

And the 28-year-old hitman insists he will be back to wow Turf Moor crowds again next season.

Blake, one of only eight players still in contract, said: "I am happy here. The club has done fantastically well for me and the fans have been great.

"When I first signed and I had a hernia, they must have wondered who I was. But they have been right behind me from day one and I would like to thank them for that and tell them I am totally happy here.

"I have no intentions of going anywhere else and as far as I am concerned I am a Burnley Football Club player for two more years and I will be back here for training again on July 1."

Blake's comments will be heartening news to nervous Burnley fans, who feared the free-scoring striker may be sacrificed this summer to help offset the club's ongoing financial problems.

But Kilby is adamant that, following healthy season ticket sales and a re-structuring of the budgets, no more players need to be sold to keep the club afloat.

The Clarets chairman said: "At the moment, with the budgets in place, we don't have to sell a Robbie Blake or a Richard Chaplow.

"Obviously if a big club comes in and says here's £5m, we have to listen. Last season, with Gareth Taylor, I had to look at a way of bridging a £2m gap, but this year things are looking far healthier.

"In Richard's case, he is already highly-rated, but I want him to grow and be a big influence in our team next season."

Kilby also revealed that he offered departing winger Glen Little a bank-busting deal to stay at Turf Moor and earn himself a lucrative testimonial.

The winger has quit Burnley to join Reading on a three-year deal after eight eventful years at Turf Moor.

Kilby said: "I moved heaven and high water and we matched Reading's offer for Glen. It took a big chunk of our budget and it gave him a three-year deal with a testimonial at the end of it.

"My intelligence tells me that was equal to the terms on offer at Reading, but unfortunately he made it clear he wanted to go back south for his family and we fully respect those reasons."

BUSINESSMEN John Sullivan and John Wilkinson have both been appointed to the Burnley FC board.

Property developer Sullivan has built up a number of multi-million pound commercial, residential and investment businesses based in Burnley, the North West and overseas over the last 40 years.

Wilkinson, elected as a full member of the board after serving as an associate director, is the managing director of Haydock Finance.

BURNLEY will face Nationwide Conference outfit Accrington Stanley in a pre-season friendly.

As yet a date and venue for the summer derby clash has still to be finalised