Keane '“ title win was special

But Burnley blitzed their rivals over the second half of the season to win the Championship - outpointing the top six by a minimum of 10 points in a 23-game unbeaten run.

The Clarets set a post-war club record in the process, as they earned an immediate return to the Premier League, and Keane - an integral part of the side, earning a place in the PFA Championship team of the year - asked whether he could believe the side’s form, said: “I can and I can’t. It looked a long way away on Boxing Day, but we went on a run and got some momentum and something special started. We were playing well and even when we weren’t playing well we were digging in and getting results.

“It’s team spirit, we never say die and we just keep going until the end. We knew eventually we would get over the line.”

Keane ended the season with five goals, the last two of which were pivotal, equalising at Brighton, and then at home to Middlesbrough, two of the moments of the season. And he smiled: “I’ve got a couple of big ones this year.

“They were two great balls in and I was in the right place at the right time. I’ve enjoyed it, they were a couple of special moments.”