SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND
I’ve bought a ‘Cummings 26’ Gers top ... now I’d love to partner him up front says Scarface fan Oli
OLI McBURNIE has a tattoo of Tony Montana on his arm and Jason Cummings fixed permanently to his ear.
The Swansea striker would love to partner his Scotland room-mate up front – for club and country.
Rangers-daft McBurnie, on loan at Barnsley, is in line for his Scotland debut against Costa Rica on Friday and it’s not just his 6ft 2in frame that makes him larger than life.
The ebullient 21-year-old has opened up on everything, from Al Pacino on his arms to his pride at pulling on the dark blue for Scotland, something he’s been doing since dress down days at school in Leeds where he was born and raised.
McBurnie qualifies for Scotland because his Gers-mad dad, Neil, comes from Glasgow and he has been inundated with ticket requests from family in Partick for the first match of Alex McLeish’s second coming against the central Americans.
McBurnie won’t be difficult to spot, with his gangling frame and socks hitched only halfway up his shins, as if their cotton tops had fallen out spectacularly with his knees.
It’s remarkable to think he once considered turning his back on football after his hometown club rejected him as a teenager for being too small but now he’s making up for lost time with Cummings at his side – he hopes – for more than just the next few days.
He said: “I’ve got Tony Montana from Scarface tattooed on my arm as it’s my favourite film and Jason was telling me the other day he’s thinking about getting one.
“I’ve been on to him about his Joker tattoo but that’s Jason. He’s a fun guy to be around and does not take himself too seriously. I like to think I’m the same, we’re like two peas in a pod. We’re roomies and there’s never a dull moment when he’s around.
“I’ve also got the ‘Cummings 26’ Rangers top now he’s at Ibrox. He’s a great lad and is showing what he can do on the field as well.
“I love the way he doesn’t care what anyone thinks or says. He just goes out and plays the game like a kid. You play your best football when you are enjoying yourself and that’s what he does. It’s very refreshing.
“We have always played well together, through the Under-21s and the like, so I don’t see why we couldn’t still.
“I’d also love to pull on the Rangers jersey one day. There were murmurs on deadline day but I knew by 3pm it wasn’t going to happen and I had a certain number of clubs to pick from and chose Barnsley.
“I never had any choice about following Rangers. It comes from my grandma, grandad, dad – there are photos of me going into school on dress down days in Rangers and Scotland tops. You always support who your old man supports don’t you?
“I like to have a good laugh on Twitter and Instagram with the fans. A bit of banter never hurt anyone. I’m a Rangers fan. I’m not going to hide it.
“We’ve been to a few games, a couple of Old Firms. I loved Kris Boyd and Nikica Jelavic – I