BELLAMY ON TREASURING CHAMPIONS PARADE MEMORIES

Clarets Assistant Manager reflects on incredible season and celebrations

Assistant Manager Craig Bellamy was keen to treasure the atmosphere at Tuesday's Champions Parade as he praised the squad for their hard work across an incredible Championship winning season.

“It’s been amazing [the town centre celebrations]. Honestly, it’s been so special, and you know the older you get the more you can just relax and enjoy it. I’m not naïve enough to think this happens every year, course it doesn’t, so being able to enjoy it now is way more important. I know I don’t always look like it, but I love every moment of this and to do it with a group like the players - I couldn’t love a group more honestly.

“Staff wise it’s a weird place, you get an environment like a small city, a small town like Burnley, where 20,000 turn up week in week out, and the involvement between us and them it’s always there so to be able to share this as well is just brilliant. I’ve got to be honest this is what it’s about.

“We all work, you see how hard we all go at it, but this is why we do it and to get this has been above and beyond.”

Having enjoyed a successful playing career at clubs including Liverpool, West Ham,

Manchester City and Newcastle United, plus 19 goals in 70 international caps for Wales, Bellamy has been involved in several football parades and team celebrations but was thoroughly enjoying being part of the Clarets success this time as a coach.

“This is rare, it’s not like that elsewhere which is what makes it so unique. You sort of grow into it more and more because every club you’re at is the biggest club - it always is. It’s felt like that more and more as you come along with it and it grabs you, it gets you, you become like with it - it’s weird.

“Last time I was in this league I won it as a player and it just flew by and I keep telling the players just cherish it, remember it and please don’t waste a moment of it. To be able to do it now as a coach is what I’m trying to do now as well and it’s special, it’s beyond special.”

When asked if he would take time out to celebrate the achievement or if he was already planning for next season he replied: “Honestly, I can.

"I think you enjoy it as a coach, it’s a little bit different where you can just sit back and breathe. It’s like this is why you work hard, and this is what you do it for, for these types of moments. To be able to share it with so many people you see every day, you’ll remember this, and the fans will remember this.

"I’m not being biased, it’s easy to be biased, I think we’ve been probably the best Championship I’ve ever seen and that’s the honest truth. That’s how good I think this group of players, the consistency they’ve shown, it’s been unreal and to watch them do that, week in week out, two games a week because this season’s been like no other because of the World Cup break so there was more emphasis on midweek games - which is fine we had to deal with it like everyone else did. It was the same for everyone else.

To watch their level of consistency, it’s just astounded me. I said to them numerous times, every week I get surprised by you, you just surprise me and I’m in awe of them.

"Honest truth, I wouldn’t get in this team. To be able to be part of them, to be able to share this with them. We’ll share this now for the rest of our lives and the fans will as well, we’re all at this moment because we know what happened last year, we’re fully aware of it, we’ll all enjoy it but it’s the manner that we did it, it was the way we did it and I think that will live with us and the fans forever.”