NEIL Moore hopes that having 'Burnley captain' on his CV will help him get fixed up with a new club.

Moore admitted that his limited appearances in the second half of an injury-ravaged campaign with the Clarets barely warranted a new deal at Turf Moor at the end of last season.

But the central defender, released along with 11 others by manager Stan Ternent, is optimistic that while his previous record wasn't enough to keep him at Burnley, it will see him land a contract elsewhere.

"I just hope I don't have to go for trials. I played 60-odd games for Burnley and half of those as captain so people know what I can do. That should stand me in good stead," said Moore.

The 26-year-old Liverpudlian captained the Clarets as they won their battle against relegation under Chris Waddle two seasons ago, having earned a contract and forced his way into the team after a successful trial spell in the autumn of 1997.

"I couldn't have asked for more from my first year. Football-wise it wasn't the best, although it was the way it finished," he said.

However, Moore started the season just finished on the bench and after helping out in a midfield role sustained a knee injury which required surgery at the start of September.

"I was unfortunate getting injured but after I came back from the medial ligament injury I didn't play well," he added.

"I did okay against Millwall and Lincoln but after that I didn't think I played well.

"Maybe you can't judge someone on six or seven games but on that basis I probably didn't deserve a contract. You've got to be honest and you have got to be your own biggest critic. "It's just one of those things and hopefully I will get fixed up. Hopefully I will be back playing for someone at Turf Moor next season."

Moore played at right-back when Burnley won at Millwall and drew at Lincoln at the end of January and turned in top-notch performances.

However, he was sent off in the next game against Luton and things went downhill from there over the next three games, culminating in a nasty injury in Burnley's 6-0 drubbing by Manchester City when Moore, back at centre-half, dislocated his tibia and fibula.

"Last year was very frustrating. It would have been different if I had been playing but it is difficult being on the outside looking in," he confessed.

The cultured former Everton defender is over now his fitness problems, though, and looking ahead to getting his career back on track.

"The injury is fine. There is no problem with that and I am keeping myself fit over the summer with a programme Paul Lake gave me.

"I am confident that I will get fixed up with a club. The leg is fine. Everybody else is confident about that and there's no long-standing problem with it," he insisted.

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