Departing Burnley captain Steven Caldwell admits Owen Coyle's move to Bolton Wanderers was the beginning of the end.

Coyle's decision to quit for a team lower down the table at the time was, the 29-year-old feels, a monumental turning point in their inaugural Premier League campaign.

"To us, as players, it was a huge moment in our season," the former Newcastle and Sunderland defender told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"I don't know if it was a shock. I knew how sought after the gaffer was and how teams would be looking to poach him.

"I always felt that was a possibility. But when you are such a tight-knit group any major change hits you much harder.

"When a unit's so strong and a very important person in it leaves then problems occur.

"I don't blame him for that in the slightest. But it had a huge bearing on our season."