IN the first of a new series in the Lancashire Telegraph former Claret JAMIE HOYLAND picks his five-a-side team from his time at Turf Moor

MARLON BERESFORD

THE goalkeeper enjoyed two spells at Turf Moor, first joining the club from Sheffield Wednesday in 1992 for £100,000 in the old Division Three.

The Lincoln-born stopper became a fans’ favourite and garnered a reputation for penalty saves.

Beresford went on to join Middlesbrough for £450,000 in 1998, but returned on loan in 2002 before making the move permanent again the following season.

STEVE DAVIS

A CLARETS stalwart who finished four short of 400 appearances for the club as a centre back.

Initially joined on loan from Southampton to play alongside his namesake before that move became permanent in the summer of 1991, replacing his namesake who had left the club a month earlier to join Barnsley.

Davis was an accomplished ball player for a central defender in this era and became a key member of the Clarets defence as they rose through the leagues, winning promotion from Division Four in his first season at the club.

DAVID EYRES

IF his wand of a left foot wasn’t enough to write his name in Burnley folklore, his goal in the play-off final win against Stockport County at Wembley in 1994 was.

That came at the end of his first season, after the Liverpudlian had been signed from Blackpool in July 1993.

He went on to spend four years at Turf Moor, scoring 55 goals in 214 appearances.

Later, he played for Oldham until his 43rd year, clocking up 783 games as a professional - an achievement all the more impressive given that he was 25 when he made his league debut.

ADRIAN HEATH

INITIALLY signed on non-contract terms, Heath enjoyed a prolific partnership with Mike Conroy in his first season with the Clarets, and ended it with 20 league goals plus three in the FA Cup. So it was with some relief that he eventually penned a permanent deal.

The attacking midfielder was dogged by injury in the 1994/95 season, which ended in relegation back to League One.

He joined Sheffield United as player/assistant manager to Howard Kendall in December 1995, returning to Turf Moor three months later as player/manager, succeeding Jimmy Mullen and becoming the first Burnley manager to play in a league game.

Heath left in 1996/97 to be reunited with Kendall at Everton.

ALAN HARPER

A JIMMY Mullen signing, Harper was recruited after the play-off win against Stockport to prepare for life at a higher level and a new-look midfield diamond.

A reliable player who rarely gave away possession, he nevertheless struggled to win favour with the Clarets fans.

Another player who’s Turf Moor career was hampered by injury, he moved into a coaching role with the club, working alongside Terry Pashley for a spell in the youth team.

He is one of short list of players to have played for both Everton and Liverpool.

JAMIE Hoyland explains how he chose his team.

“One of the reasons I picked Marlon is just because he’s gorgeous,” laughed Hoyland, who took no time at all in listing his five.

“He was a very good goalkeeper. But he used to make me laugh because he had the best run-up ever to take a goal kick. He used to take two or three little steps.

“And I used to love staring at him when he didn’t come for crosses. But we used to travel in together so we were always mates.”

Of defender Davis, Hoyland added: “Steve is probably the best player I played with at Burnley. Another yard of pace and he would have played for England and had a fantastic career in the Premier League. But what a great player anyway.”

Eyres’ “fantastic left foot” made him an easy pick in Hoyland’s five-a-side.

“He could get out of any situation, and he would moan at the referee all the time.”

Meanwhile, it wasn’t just Heath’s footballing ability that appealed to Hoyland.

“Adrian Heath was an absolutely class player, and he could sort out our social side too after a win. He’s great for a night out!

“Finally I’d have Alan Harper in the team. He never got the credit he deserved from the Burnley fans, but talk to any of his old team-mates and they’d tell you he’s a great player - excellent at two-touch and can move the ball so he would be perfect for five-a-side.”

But Hoyland wasn’t done there.

“If I could have a sub I’d have to pick Mark ‘Whoosh’ Winstanley and bring him on if we needed to waste time,” he said.

“He’d kick the ball and we’d never get it back.”