Clarets reject Garreth O'Connor has admitted the last 12 months have been worst year of his life.

The midfielder, who has been transfer-listed by Burnley, has revealed he is in no hurry to find a new club, despite reported interest from former boss Sean O'Driscoll at League One side Doncaster.

But he said it would be nothing short of a nightmare to endure another season at Turf Moor like the one just past, where under boss Steve Cotterill he failed to make a single Championship start.

He said: "He (Cotterill) told me that I wasn't going to be involved but it was already obvious because I'd been training hard and not really getting a chance.

"There was no falling out but he was happy to let me go and I knew that I wanted regular football.

"This was probably the worst year of my life in terms of football.

"I was being told to keep trying in training but I knew that I was never going to get a run of games.

"I'm lucky because, if I was out of contract now, my wages would be stopped at the end of this month.

"I didn't start a game during the league last season and hardly had an injury so that level of frustration would be difficult to go through again."

Irishman O'Connor was signed by Steve Cotterill after bursting onto the scene at Bournemouth, netting 14 goals.

And the attacking midfielder continued in that rich vein of form in his first season at Burnley, scoring eight times in 28 appearances.

But instead of going on to establish himself as a regular in the first team the following season, the 28-year-old found his chances limited.

He added: "It's amazing how quickly it can change.

"There was nothing specific with the manager but after a while you realise that you're not going to get a look-in so you lose the gradually sharpness and it turns into a vicious circle because then it's even harder to get noticed.

"There was a chance of me going somewhere else to get some games but the clubs couldn't agree over wages.

"It was a difficult situation because I knew at the time I wasn't going to play at Burnley, so to have the chance to play regular first-team games on the table and then have it taken away just made things worse."

And while he may still have another year of his contract to run with the Clarets, O'Connor is keen to experience first-team football and prove that he can cut it in the Championship.

He said: "I might go back to Burnley for a few weeks for pre-season.

"There's no point in thinking 'I'm on the list so I'm not going to bother.' "There are so many players looking for a new club that you can't afford to leave yourself behind."