AMBITIOUS captain Steve Caldwell believes the Clarets are on course for promotion to the Premier League, and the sooner the better.

Although the possibility of a play-off place this season slipped away in recent weeks, the 27-year-old believes the club's determination to reach the top flight is stronger than ever.

That vision was one of the key factors in Caldwell arriving at Turf Moor on a three-year deal from Sunderland in January 2007.

And it is one which he believes has only been enhanced this term.

"From last season to this season the improvement's been fantastic," he said.

"The basis, how we started this season, was right; we were thinking about play-offs even then.

"We were in about there and still couldn't get the consistency going then, and then we lost our manager and he had brought most of the players to this club.

"A new manager came in and right away the lads respond to him and want to do well for him, as we did for the last manager.

"It's disappointing to lose a manager at any time, but we've tried to take it on and be professional and achieve the results for everybody connected to the club, and we've just come short.

"But there's more in us, we have to realise that and have that little bit more consistency next season.

"The reason I came here was because I sat down with Steve Cotterill and he convinced me that this was the place to come, that things were happening and we were going somewhere, and I still feel like that.

"I just hope that we keep going, and I'm sure we will because the gaffer's come in and kept it moving along.

"He's got high standards, we know what he wants from us and if you're less than that it's not going to be good enough."

And Caldwell believes that, although Derby have been relegated just 12 months after promotion via the play-offs, reaching the top flight can never happen too soon for any team.

"People maybe say Derby have done it too quickly and they've not got many points, but they've been there.

"They've had the trials and tribulations of being in the Premier League, and we want that," he said.

"You can never have it too quickly because you learn so much from being there. I'm sure that with Derby coming down they're going to be a strong force in our league again next year.

"We want to get in that play-off position and see what can happen, because you look at Bristol City - they're there or thereabouts and can still get automatic promotion, and people would never have thought that could happen to Bristol at the start of the season.

"But, fair play to them, they believe in themselves, they've been consistent and they're maybe going to do it, so it's more than possible for us and many other teams to do it."