Danny Karbassiyoon has spoken of his disappointment at leaving Burnley and not being able to repay the staff and fans for their faith in him.

He said: "I wish things had worked out differently and I feel bad because the staff and the fans were really good to me.

"I just wish I could have got my chance to do something to please them but injuries didn't help me.

"Obviously I still believe in myself and want to do as best I can, but the injuries don't help.

"I was really looking forward to coming back this year and doing well for Burnley.

"I'd been here a year and felt I still had something to prove, but I think maybe I tried to over-compensate back home by working too hard and another injury killed me.

"A specialist has told me that right now, all I need to do is rest my knee because it didn't get the rest it needed after my last operation."

And manager Steve Cotterill, whose own career was cut short by a knee injury, admitted he called on past experience when breaking the contract news to the youngster.

He said: "Danny doesn't need to go and play football at this moment in time.

"Danny needs to go home and spend some time with his family, let his knee settle down and maybe in six months time potentially then if his knee settled down get him in the MLS.

"He needs that rest period because whatever we do if it's operations, injections, massages, acupuncture, ultrasound, he's a young boy and he's continually pounded his knee and he needs to take some time out on it.

"He's not going to be a footballer all his life. He's got to think about after football.

"He may be lucky that he gets married in the next 10 years and has children."