Burnley truly hit the jackpot with bargain £30k Cheltenham Town agreement: View | OneFootball

Signing Michael Duff from Cheltenham Town paid off for Burnley.

Nobody could have predicted the impact Michael Duff would have at Burnley when he signed for the club in 2004.

Duff was playing for Cheltenham Town when he was signed by Burnley for £30,000, taking him from the fourth tier of English football to the Championship.

The defender had enjoyed a successful time at Cheltenham, helping the club rise from non-league to the Football League.

He also made his international debut for Northern Ireland against Poland during his spell with the Robins.

Few Burnley fans could have predicted how much of a successful signing Duff would turn out to be when he first arrived at Turf Moor in the summer of 2004.

Duff became a key figure for Burnley

Duff featured regularly in the Championship during his first three seasons at Burnley, as the Clarets finished in the bottom half of the league without really being threatened by the prospect of relegation.

The centre-back was 29 years old during the 2007/08 campaign, his fourth season at the club, when he suffered a serious knee injury against Crystal Palace which he feared was going to signal the end of his career.

Duff said: "When the injury happened it went through my head that I may never play again. Then the medics said it would be at least 12 months before I would be back playing."

Five months later, Duff returned from his injury, and that was not the only unlikely story that he would be a part of during his time at Burnley.

Duff made history at Turf Moor

The Clarets once again finished mid-table in the Championship at the end of the 2007/08 season. Duff had returned to fitness after his career-threatening injury ahead of the following campaign.

The 2008/09 season would prove to be a memorable one for Burnley. Duff made 30 appearances in the Championship as the Clarets reached the play-off final, beating Sheffield United 1-0 to secure a Premier League return for the club after a 33-year absence from the top division.

When Duff made his Premier League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he became the first player to play at every level on their way from the eighth tier to the top flight.

Burnley suffered relegation back to the Championship at the end of their first season in the Premier League, and Duff spent the following four years helping the club compete for another return to the big time. The defender was crucial in the season that they did win promotion back to the Premier League, making 41 appearances as the Clarets finished as runners-up in the Championship in 2014.

Once again, Burnley were relegated, before Duff helped the club win the Championship title in his final season for the club at the end of the 2015/16 campaign, meaning he has completed the rare feat of achieving three Premier League promotions with the same club.

Burnley helped Duff start his managerial career

After his retirement from playing, Burnley appointed Duff as the head coach of their under-23 squad. He has since gone on to manage Cheltenham, Barnsley, and Swansea City, achieving promotion to League One with his former club and helping Barnsley reach a League One play-off final.

He has recently been appointed as Huddersfield Town's new manager, where he will hope he can add another promotion to his CV.

Burnley fans will not be surprised that Duff has shown potential as a manager, as his awareness and ability to read the game were key attributes during his playing days.

He will be remembered for contributing to three Premier League promotions that helped to put the club in the position it is in today. It has to be said, signing Duff for £30,000 back in 2004 was a real bargain for the Clarets.