ANDY Payton hopes the 2019/20 Premier League season is completed, so that Burnley can realise their full potential.

Before football was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic the Clarets signed off on a seven-game unbeaten run that left them on the fringes of the European places.

Clarets legend Payton knows there are much wider issues in the world currently, with attempts to stop the spread of the virus prompting the closure of pubs, restaurants and leisure facilities, as well as schools and colleges – a situation that affects his job and income.

But when it comes to football, he feels it would be important for the season to reach a conclusion, no matter how long it takes.

“The longer it goes on it’s going to be really weird.," Payton said. "But the club has been doing well so hopefully they can play the games at some point and get that run going again.

“It was turning into what could be a great season with the chance to earn a place in Europe again.

“It would be nice to see it through and see what could be achieved.

“I’ve always said Burnley being in the Premier League is success in itself but we have grown into it now and I’m sure they can carry on where they left off. They’ve done really well.

“But nobody knows what’s going to happen, or how long this suspension is going to go on for.”

The football programme was initially postponed until April 4, but that was last week extended until April 30 – a date that will remain under review as the situation evolves.

But Payton feels there may come a point where it gets too late to continue the current campaign.

“If it was going to be impacting on next season you would probably want them to scratch it,” said the former Burnley striker, recognising the pitfalls.

“Liverpool are that far ahead they should be awarded the title, but then there are promotions and relegations. How do you resolve that?

"There are teams at the top of the Championship desperate to get into the Premier League.

“There will also be players out of contract after the end of June so that’s another complication to consider.”

The only time that Payton can remember football standing still was after the September 11 terrorist attacks in America back in 2001.

“We had finished training at Gawthorpe and I got home and it was live on the television,” the former striker recalled.

“My mum and dad were on holiday in America at the time and it was worrying because we couldn’t get hold of them for a while.

“Some games got called off.

“This is unprecedented. I’ve never known anything like it in my lifetime.

"It has a massive effect on everybody and it has happened so quickly.

“Sport has been put on the backburner, and rightly so.

“For me personally, football is central to my life, and certainly in an earning capacity.

“But sport, at times like this, has got to be put on the backburner.”