CLARETS legend Andy Payton said today he was delighted he would always have a foot in the door at Turf Moor after the club bought his Golden Boot.

And he admitted it was an honour to be finally be recognised by Burnley for his goalscoring exploits in the promotion-winning season of 2000.

Payton put his prestigious award up for auction at a charity dinner on Friday night in aid of Johnny Brennan, the paralysed son of former Burnley player Ian Brennan.

It fetched an incredible £1300 as the club dug deep to ensure the Boot stayed in the town.

Payton said: "That makes it all worthwhile. To be honest I was prepared to let it go anywhere so long as it raised money for the lad.

"But for it to stay with Burnley Football Club means a lot.

"Stan Ternent didn't go in for individual awards very much, I don't know why that was, just him I suppose, and for some reason the club didn't really recognise it even though it coincided with us getting promotion.

"I was a bit disappointed at the time because there were no pictures of it in any programmes.

"I suppose I've had my recognition in other ways. I went to the awards ceremony and I got the boot.

"I've had my enjoyment from it. Now I'm delighted it has been recognised and that it'll be remembered for all time."

The former Gawthorpe High School pupil rattled in 27 goals to clinch the award and recalled the amazing achievement as if it were yesterday.

He added: "It was fantastic getting the Boot and it coincided with us getting promotion. Obviously with me being a local lad you couldn't have written the script any better.

"Not only to win promotion but for me to get that individual award was just amazing, especially when you consider that when I signed for the club they were almost at the bottom of the second division.

"There was a massive turnaround in the space of two seasons and I scored 50 goals in that time."

Burnley chief executive Dave Edmundson said the Boot would take pride of place in the Chairman's Lounge alongside other important pieces of memorabilia.

He said: "We're very pleased to have got it because it's quite a historic item."