But the former Newcastle and Sunderland centre back believes Burnley can fulfil the potential they showed last term and be a force to be reckoned with.

The Clarets went to Hull City in March a point ahead of the Tigers, but Phil Brown's side powered towards the finishing line and will kick-off life as a top-flight club for the first time next week.

And the 27-year-old hopes to be able to sustain a promotion challenge this time around, backed by a new, improved squad: "Because we were reasonably successful last year without playing to our maximum, we feel that we have to take that on.

"It's going to be more difficult though this season, because teams have spent a bit of money and they're strengthening.

"I certainly think the quality of players coming into the Championship now is stronger than it has been in a long time, so it's going to be difficult, but we feel that we have the quality of players to do really well."

There will be six clubs with Premier League parachute payments in the Championship this time around, while the likes of QPR, Ipswich and Nottingham Forest are splashing the cash.

And the knock-on effect from the continuing wave of world-class talent coming to the Premier League means more quality players are filtering down to the Championship than ever before – with clubs able to afford them.

Caldwell said: "I think the Premier League's getting so much stronger that the players that come to our league are getting better.

"I also think that, if we use James McFadden as an example, that he could move to a Premier League team now – there'd be a few that want him – but the strength of the teams in the Championship means Birmingham can afford to keep him, whereas before they couldn't afford his wages so he would move on to a Premier League team.

"Now they can keep him because they want to be back up there.
"We have to keep up with the Joneses, keep spending the money that we've got and improve on every single year, creating that competition for places, which is good for any squad."

The Scotland international feels the youthful vibrancy spreading throughout the current squad, added to an experienced core, bodes well, however: "We've got a great mix in our squad with five or six younger lads, and the majority of the others are 27 to 30, which is a great age to be in, and we've got a few of the older lads who have got the complete experience and definitely the respect of the whole squad.

"A mix is so important. Too many young lads isn't great, and too many older lads isn't great. But we've just got a fantastic mix."
With youth comes quicker legs and raw enthusiasm, and Caldwell added: "Pato's come in and has got a bit of pace, Christian certainly isn't lacking in pace, big Kev's a strong runner, so the new signings seem to have pace.

"Chris McCann's probably as quick as anyone in our league, in a deceiving way. He maybe doesn't look that quick, but trying to keep up with him on a run, it's very difficult."

The size of the squad doesn't necessarily have to be a problem though.
Caldwell knows full well from his title-winning year with Sunderland in 2005 that if you can keep a settled side, half the battle is won: "You've probably got a group of 20 players who are going to be in and out all season.

"If 11 guys are playing and staying fit and winning, then they're going to stay in the team.
"I hate to harp back to it, but when I won the championship with Sunderland, in the majority of the games we had the same 11.

"We never had a lot of players who got injured, but the 10 times probably when different players came in, they worked their socks off and got us victories.

"That squad is so important, but they need to have a focus and togetherness for players to stay fit.

"If you're out of the team, you work harder, you get in and you do your absolute upmost to keep your place.

"I think we've got the kind of lads that know that, and will do that."

Keeping a settled side develops partnerships through the side, something Burnley have struggled for over a few years at centre back, where several permutations have been chopped and changed due to injury, suspension, loss of form and general turnover of players, and Caldwell hopes to foster a greater understanding all over the pitch: "Being a defender I know how important it is to have a partnership, and with your full backs you're as a four and there's your goalkeeper as well.

"If you can keep that back four together then it's a very important thing.
"You need competition as well to make yourself play better. Everybody wants competition, being the nature and the type of people we are."

The squad, as a whole, however, are as tight as ever, if not more so following the tours of the United States and Scotland, and Caldwell added: "Things are going well. We're progressing well and had a great trip to America.
"I think it's one of the best places to go for pre-season. It's fantastic.

"It's good socialising with regards to shopping and a couple of nights out and these kind of things, and I think that's so important in pre-season.
"We're already a close squad but we seem to have got even closer for that.

"It reminds me a lot of when I was at Sunderland; we had a fantastic spirit there, and we had been to America that year as well.
"I think those are the sort of plus points of going to America, also you get the tough training in the heat and you get really difficult games against fit lads.

"I feel like we've got the same kind of spirit, and hopefully we're going to get the same results as what we had then."
Caldwell himself is looking to match the high standards he sets himself.
The captain is honest enough to admit he was not at his best last season, but he expects to come back stronger for the experience: "Last year was a bad year for me, but it's gone now and I'm not thinking about it.

"That's in the past. I'm looking forward. I feel like I've had a decent pre-season, I feel fit and I'm hoping to perform at the best of my abilities from the first game right through to May.
"It was my injury that hindered me a bit, but I'm going to be fit all season, touch wood.

"I've never been a player who was injured before; I'm sure it was just a blip for a season – everybody has them.
"I'm positive, I'm looking forward to playing to the best of my ability, and I think if I do that, I can be a great asset for the club."