REBOOTED & SUITED
Burke was in danger of failing to fulfil early promise until switch to striker saw him shine
THE only danger of Oli Burke drifting this time is from right to left when playing as a solo striker.
Slowly but surely he’s learning to hold his position through the middle as he undergoes a career rebirth at Celtic.
Burke will come in from the cold this week, literally, when he swaps the sub-zero temperatures of Kazakhstan for the indoor comforts of the Astana Arena.
Scotland boss Alex McLeish is ready to turn to the West Brom frontman, starring on loan at Parkhead, to fire the Dark Blues off to a winning start in the European Championship campaign.
Burke, still just 21, was in danger of becoming the Benjamin Button of British football with a failure to live up to a series of big-money moves so early in his career.
By the age of 20 he had been transferred for fees totalling £28million and a long and successful Scotland career looked a shoe-in when he was capped for the first time three years ago against Denmark.
But suddenly the script was rewritten and his failure to impact for RB Leipzig and West Brom was reflected with a fall from grace at international level.
He hasn’t featured for the senior squad since a low-level friendly against Canada two years ago and last summer stepped back down to Under-21 level, helping the Scots finish a credible fourth at the Toulon tournament.
But Burke has rediscovered his mojo following his January switch to the Hoops from the Hawthorns, netting four goals and looking much more comfortable stepping in from the wing to play the striker’s role.
Now he is ready to answer the call from big Eck in Astana on Thursday and San Marino on Sunday to fire the Scots towards next summer’s Euro finals.
Burke said: “I don’t know if it was too much too soon. I mean, I don’t regret anything that’s happened, including being called up back then.
“The weight placed on my shoulders at the time was a lot but that’s just part of football. When you go to clubs for big money these expectations come along with it.
“Obviously I’d have liked to have done better and had a more successful start to my international career but it was all completely new to me and everything seemed to happen all at once. One minute I was at Nottingham Forest and the next I was on the international stage at Leipzig.
“It all happened in a matter of months. But I’m back in the fold now after almost two years away from it and I’m very happy.
“I’m prouder of this call-up than the previous ones, especially having been out of it for so long and dropping down to the Under-21 squad.
“I’m just delighted to be back in. It’s a fantastic feeling, although it’s amazing whenever you’re selected – a real privilege.”
To his credit Burke refused to throw his toys out the pram when asked to rehabilitate himself on the international stage with the younger age group in the south of France.
Scot Gemmill’s side lost a third-place play-off to Turkey after Burke had fired goals in wins over France and South Korea to top their group stage.
Burke said: “It was no problem at all to go back to the Under-21s, a no-brainer. I got the call when I was in Germany for the Toulon Tournament and Malky Mackay talked about how important it would be to go there.
“As much as it was a step back it was still my age group and I was still up against great teams.
“It was a real boost for me, going with the 21s, and going to tournaments that are really important.
“The coaches, Scot and Malky, gave me the confidence and belief in myself again. They let me go out there, enjoy my football and not think about everything else. “It was successful. As a player you need that at times, someone to tell you you can do it and to give you that confidence to go and express yourself.” The Under-21s also put him on the road to a new role as a striker when he netted in a 2-0 win over Latvia in a Euro qualifier in October 2017. His education is continuing at Celtic and if as expected McLeish puts him through the middle against the Kazakhs he’s ready to respond.
Burke added: “Every position has its different roles and responsibilities for the team, especially at Celtic.
“Here you have to stick with it and be a part of the team.
“As a striker it starts from you and everyone else follows and it’s a position of responsibility for that reason.
“I was drifting a little bit at times and going wide and forgetting I was a striker.
“It all comes down to learning the position and maturing. You have to realise there are great players in other positions and to let them do it.
“I have no need to drift out and have to stay in my position. I wanted to go back to my old ways but it’s important to learn.
“I don’t know what plan Alex McLeish has for me yet. I haven’t had a conversation with him but I’m sure I will.”
When you go to big clubs for big money the expectation comes with it OLI BURKE