PAUL Weller has seen many changes in his 12-year Burnley career.

But the long-serving midfielder admitted that few had been as emotionally charged as yesterday's clash with Sunderland, which brought the curtain down on not only manager Stan Ternent's Turf Moor career, but also his pal Glen Little's.

"My mate's gone and left me," he said.

"Me and Glen have been good mates for quite a few years now, but that's happened since I've been here - I've lost all my friends.

"I grew up with Chris Brass and Andy Cooke after that and now Glen, but that's the business we're in.

"It was very emotional going round the pitch at the end, seeing the gaffer with tears in his eyes, and the same with Glen."

He added: "The script was set for Glen to score and win 1-0. That would have been fantastic, but it wasn't to be."

But Weller admitted that it wasn't through the want of trying that the Clarets couldn't end the season on a winning note.

"The mood in the dressing room was very different. We were so more determined to go out there and give the gaffer and Glen a good send-off and hopefully get the three points but it didn't quite work out," he said.

"We could have gone out there and had an end-of-season stroll about but we wanted to give him something to go away with."

But Weller admitted that knowing Ternent wouldn't be in charge of the Clarets next season, the preparation for yesterday's final game of the campaign was far from orthodox.

"It's been a strange week altogether," he said.

"The gaffer thanked us after the game for all our efforts and you're not sure what to say back to him because he's done well for so many of us.

"It's been a strange preparation and finish to it all."

And Weller revealed he had benefited from Ternent's reign.

"The gaffer's a winner at the end of the day," he said.

"We've all had our run-ins with him but he knows what he wants and he gets it all the time. He's definitely made me a better player."

Weller, whose own future at Turf Moor has yet to be decided as his contract runs out in the summer, admitted he would relish the chance to play under what would be his fifth manager.

"I would love to stay here. It's part of me."