Burke hits ground running at PNE
Burke wins over Lilywhite fans with debut goal
GRAHAM BURKE hit the ground running on his Preston North End debut – and can’t wait for his relationship with Seanie Maguire to flourish.
Former Shamrock Rovers playmaker Burke scored after only five minutes of the 7-0 pre-season win over Bamber
Bridge on Saturday afternoon, winning possession on the edge of the box before cutting inside and hitting a confident strike into the far corner.
The talented
Dubliner then teed up Seanie
Maguire, inset, for the first goal of his first-half hat-trick at the
Sir Tom Finney Stadium.
The Ireland duo wasted no time in getting on the same page, while Daryl Horgan was also heavily involved in the first-half goal-fest.
Burke and Maguire were taken off at the break with the score at 5-0.
“Obviously I was a bit nervous coming in and getting to play with everybody, but getting the goal early in the game relaxed me and I was able to go and play,” said Burke.
“Obviously Seanie has great movement, so for me playing in that position, to have someone like that is brilliant and it makes my job easier, knowing where he’s going to be and the runs he’s going to make.
“He’ll feel like he needed the break, having had that he’ll be back feeling fresh and ready to go again. You can see how sharp he is, his movement and the goals he’s scored, for him it’s fantastic.”
Of course Burke isn’t returning from a long break, having only joined the club from the Hoops in midjune and after his first two Ireland appearances – the second, against the USA, yielded his first goal at international level.
“I’m 30 games into the season or something,” said the 24-year-old. “So I should have sharpness. The rest of the lads are all getting the minutes in their legs but I feel sharp.
“I’m enjoying it, the lads have made me feel really welcome. The Irish boys are doing things after training and that’s making my life easier, it’s brilliant for me and I’m really looking forward to every day.
“It’s a week in, I have to get an understanding of things, how he (Alex
Neil) wants to play that position that
I’m playing, how he wants me to approach it defensively and in attack, but as the days go on
I’ll learn more.”
Preston boss Neil was happy with his debutant’s performance.
“It’s always tough because you need to get used to your team-mates and different things,” said Neil.
“I think the fact Graham Burke in particular had played with Seanie at international level, and knows some of the lads, has really helped him bed in.”
And Neil believes this season Lilywhite fans will see the best of Maguire, who joined Preston at
the end of July last year but subsequently suffered a serious hamstring injury having not had a break for 18 months.
“His movement is excellent and that was the Sean who when he first came here that we had seen,” Neil added.
“But then obviously he suffered a real bad injury, and I said it last year, I don’t think he was 100% but he still made a difference for us.
“I think we’ve seen today, what he’s capable of.”