article: At the age of 37, and getting on for eight years after he was told that his career was over, Michael Duff probably hadn’t expected to be chasing the bright young hope of English football around Turf Moor this weekend. Harry Kane couldn’t be hotter right now and veteran Burnley defender Duff will need all his experience to put out the fire when Tottenham come to town on Sunday. ‘I played against him when he was on loan at Millwall,’ says Duff. ‘He was a young lad and you could see he was a decent player but I don’t think anyone could have foreseen what’s happened to him in the last 12 months. ‘I don’t think it’s disrespectful to say he’s come from nowhere.’ Burnley veteran defender Michael Duff is preparing to take on Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday . The 37-year-old has played in eight different divisions before finding himself taking on the likes of United . Duff will be tasked with stopping Spurs scoring sensation Harry Kane, 16 years his junior, on Sunday . Duff knows a thing or two about coming from nowhere, although it took him significantly longer than Kane to make it to the top. Spotted playing for Oxfordshire-based Carterton Town in the Hellenic League in the mid-90s, he spent eight years at Cheltenham Town, including a loan spell at Cirencester, before joining Burnley for £30,000 in 2004. The second oldest outfield player in the Premier League — 26 days younger than Everton’s Sylvain Distin — Duff is the only man to appear in all eight top tiers of English football. And yet his career was almost ended prematurely after he suffered a serious knee injury against Crystal Palace in September 2007. A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament was the worst of the damage and he will never forget his first meeting with the surgeon. ‘His bedside manner wasn’t the best,’ recalls Duff. ‘He held up the scan and the first thing he said was “Look at the f*****g state of that!” I still remember those words to this day. It was devastating to be given that news. ‘Being told I was finished at 29 had a big influence because you can take things for granted. I nearly had it taken away from me, so I really appreciate what I’ve got. I don’t know if I would still be playing if that didn’t happen.’ The defender's former clubs include an eight year spell with Cheltenham Town . Duff is the only survivor of Burnley's Championship promotion and Premier League relegation sides . Duff is the second oldest  outfield player in the Premier League behind Sylvain Distin (right) by 26 days . Born in Belfast but raised in North Yorkshire, Duff was 11 years old when he witnessed the Hillsborough tragedy — standing in the Nottingham Forest end alongside his dad, John, who had taken him to his first big game. His experiences provide a useful perspective when it comes to handling Burnley’s season-long battle against relegation. After playing Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Southampton in five of their last six games, Sean Dyche’s side face Tottenham and Arsenal in the next two. Duff, the only survivor of Burnley’s previous promotion to and relegation from the Premier League, is not one to listen to the pessimists. Nor does he pay too much attention to the hype that comes as part of the package, such as the storm that surrounded team-mate Ashley Barnes following his bust-up with Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic at Stamford Bridge in February. ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ asked Duff. ‘You could lose a game of football, but we’re expected to lose it anyway. The high point of Burnley's season thus far has been the 1-0 defeat of defending champions Manchester City . Burnley's challenging run in will see the Tykes face high flying Arsenal after the Tottenham game . ‘Every game we play is a free hit from the outside looking in. I can’t imagine we start many games as the bookies’ favourite. No-one gave us a prayer at the start of the season, so we’ll give it a go. ‘It’s been tough this year with the intense scrutiny that comes with the league. For instance, the incident with Barnesy at Chelsea. No one reacted in the ground, but a week later it was the worst tackle in football history, so it’s something we cannot get obsessed with. ‘There are different pressures at different levels. I’ve played with lads who have been released and can’t afford to pay a mortgage.’ Relegation in 2010 has clearly left a scar, however, and not least because of the controversial departure of manager Owen Coyle down the road to Bolton in mid-season. ‘It ripped the heart out of the club,’ says Duff. ‘He had everyone buying into what he thought and then he decided to leave for his own reasons in the January. It didn’t matter who came in, it was going to be an uphill task. ‘This is completely different. There is definitely a stronger mentality in this squad which reflects the manager. There’s a real belief that we can achieve something this year against all the odds.’ Losing manager Owen Coyle after relegation from the Premier League knocked the wind out of Duff . Duff’s knee injury taught him to prepare for life after a playing career and he already has his coaching badges. Articulate and forthright, he is management material. ‘You look at the game differently when you get to my age,’ he says. ‘I want to stay in football after I’ve finished playing, but I have no plans to stop. I still love getting up for training in the morning. It’s not a bad job running around chasing after a football.’
highlights: Burnley host Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday .
  Michael Duff is the only man to appear in all eight English divisions .
  The 37-year-old cannot wait to take on Spurs sensation Harry Kane .
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