Former Burnley midfielder David Jones saddened by end of remarkable era after departure of Sean Dyche

Jones, now player-coach with National League promotion hopefuls Wrexham, spent four years at Turf Moor under Dyche, twice winning promotion to the Premier League.

The 37-year-old signed on a free transfer in the summer of 2013, after being released by Wigan Athletic, and was a mainstay of the side that finished Championship runners-up to Leicester City that season, as well as the team that went 23 unbeaten to lift the title in 2016, after relegation from the top flight.

Jones, like so many, couldn’t believe the news on Good Friday: "It was a surprise, I was shocked, with the situation of the team in the league, and so little time to go.

"I'm still shocked now, it's weird to see a Burnley game without the manager and the staff there.

"The timing was a surprise with the game two days after, and also because I know how the manager and staff are, and I still believe they were the guys who could keep Burnley in the Premier League this season.

"I stilly fully believe in them, and that's the over-riding feeling I've got.

"Although the results haven't been there, there were a number of performances that I'd seen that in other seasons perhaps, they'd have come out on the right side of the results.

"Sometimes in football the luck isn't with you when you put in a good performance,but I think still the level and belief was there.

"Even Everton, great result, just couldn't get the result against Norwich when you would have thought they'd have had the momentum.

"But still, you look at their games and I would have still backed the manager and staff to get the results they need.

"It didn't look like the players had lost the belief either.”

Jones added: "The manager's track record...I know how he works and operates, we all do now, and while it's a results industry, I didn't think the manager's tenure at the club would end like this, which is the big shock.

"I know Burnley want to stay in the Premier League for financial reasons, but you get a sense Burnley fans still believe in the way the manager and staff did things.

"I'm still in shock.”

Jones left for Sheffield Wednesday just after the start of the 2016/17 season, and after a three-year stay at Hillsborough, Dyche helped Jones with an invitation to train with his former club: "He's always been great wth me, he improved my football, my playing, my knowledge - I learned loads from him, really enjoyed it as well.

"I loved my time at Burnley, the fans, the whole club really.

"I'm a converted Burnley fan from my time there, I still have links there – when I finished at Sheffield Wednesday, he had no hesitation and took me on a pre-season tour, when I was looking for a club and wanted to stay fit.

"I was there months and was treated like one of the players, used all the facilities, the medical staff - whatever I needed.

"I've been in last year doing some coaching with the youngsters, so I have a great affiliation with the club, a great feeling for it, I have a lot of friends there and people who helped me.

"I'm just sad.”

And the former England Under 21 international, who started his career at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, wonders what will happen to the culture Dyche created at Turf Moor, which underpinned the success: "I had a similar culture at Manchester United, how the manager imprints his personality on the club, and I just felt the manager was the right man for Burnley, he had that connection between the players and staff, employees, fans, almost from the word go.

"Those connections don't seem to happen that often in football, and special things happen when they do.

"At Man United, it felt like that when I was growing up, and at Burnley, for that length of time as well...it was something special, and it will take time for people to get over it, fans, the area - he's led the club and had great success.

"It was an emotional journey as well.

"His principles never changed, you could say they were old-fashioned, but he brought them into a modern-day era in football, and I think those things paid us back on the pitch and continued to do so.

"He 's been a great figure head and leader, one of these guys who people follow.”

Jones loved every minute of his time at the club, and looked back: “Both promotions were special in their own way, but I just enjoyed my time there from minute one, and it's about the journey.

“The whole journey was really special, it wasn't a shock to me what we achieved.

"I just think it's a great story and I feel privileged to have been a part of it.

"It's remarkable, I don’t think the fans' belief in him had waned, it didn't look particularly promising this season, but I still felt the town and fans believed in him.”

Jones is now part of another remarkable story, with Wrexham – owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – pushing Stockport County hard for the National League title, and a return to the EFL after 14 years away: "Ryan seems a good guy, it sounds a ridiculous story, but they seem to have their heart in the right place, and it's an exciting time.

"Wrexham are historically a League 1 club, but it's coming up to 15 years since the were relegated from the League.

"They get good crowds, and hopefully we can get back, we just need a bit of luck.”