CLARKE Carlisle effectively ended his Clarets career last week by joining Lancashire rivals Preston North End on a year-long loan deal. Here, he tells us of his sadness of leaving, but reflects on happy times at Burnley.

AS Clarke Carlisle reflects on his Turf Moor exit, he does so with mixed emotions.

The 31-year-old makes no attempt to hide the sadness that his time at Burnley is now at an end, even if he admits the chance to join Preston North End – the club he supported as a boy – was one he greeted with great excitement.

But Carlisle also looks back with pride, forever grateful that he was given the opportunity to be part of one the Clarets’ most successful sides of recent times.

Only 11 people can say they were in the Burnley starting line-up on that unforgettable day when they gained promotion to the Premier League against all the odds with victory over Sheffield United at Wembley in 2009. Carlisle is one of them.

The central defender’s departure to Deepdale last week on a season-long loan marked the end of his time at Burnley.

With no recall possible and his Turf Moor contract up next season, he will never pull on a Clarets shirt again.

Carlisle became the sixth of those famous 11 to depart, following Graham Alexander and Steven Thompson out of the club this summer.

Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes and Robbie Blake all left a year ago, with only Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann and Martin Paterson now remaining.

Time inevitably moves on for any football club, but Carlisle looks back with fondness on his four years with Burnley.

“Burnley will always by synonymous with the most successful years of my career,” said the central defender, who was signed by Steve Cotterill in 2007 after spells with Blackpool, QPR, Leeds, Watford and Luton.

"When I was first brought to the club by Cotts I didn’t expect promotion.

"The top 10 or the top six would have been a success.

"But to gain promotion, to reach the Carling Cup semi finals - and we could have been at Wembley had the rules been different - and then have a season in the Premier League playing against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea was phenomenal.

"How can anyone not look back on those achievements - gaining promotion, beating the Premier League and European champions - with pride?

"You always remember those times. These will be the stories I tell my children and my grandchildren.

"I will always be thankful to Burnley and look back on my time fondly.

"Of course I will remain friends with the people I met there, and the fans always supported us 100 per cent.

"I will always think about them in a good way and I hope the feeling is mutual."

Carlisle, who signed a new two-year contract during Brian Laws’ tenure in 2010, had hoped he would have time to achieve more at Burnley this season.

But after losing his place in the Clarets side after a 2-0 loss at Bristol City – making only one substitute appearance in the final nine matches of last term – he was sad to learn he was unlikely to be in Eddie Howe’s plans during 2011/12.

The pair met for talks after the final game of last season in May, and it was then that he effectively knew his time at Burnley was up.

"I feel sad to leave because it wasn’t something I expected to happen so quickly," he said.

"When I sat down with the manager after the end of the season I was expecting that he would say there would be competition for places and I would have to fight for my place. I was expecting for him to say we start from scratch in pre-season.

"But I wasn’t expecting him to say I could leave the club.

"It was a sad moment when he said I wasn’t in his plans and that I could move on.

"Unfortunately a big factor was age and that’s something I can’t change.

"He wanted to have a younger squad and bring in players in that 24 to 28 age bracket.

"I could have stayed there for the year and hung around but anyone who has ever played with me or known me knows I’m not someone to sit there and let the world go by. I’m 31 years old and I need to be playing games.

"Then once I heard about Preston’s interest it was almost definitely where I was going to be going because I was born and raised in the area.

"A big part of the sadness and despondency about leaving Burnley is because I think with the ideas the manager has we could have done something very special and I really wanted to be a part of that.

"But unfortunately it wasn’t to be, and of course I wish Burnley every success."