Jack dreams of a link with fan fave Fleck
Jack Burroughs used to watch John Fleck as a young season- ticket holder at Coventry City.
Now the Sky Blues wide man want s to st a r alongside him for Scotland.
The 20-year-old has been handed a f irst Under-21 cal l- up for this week’s friendly double- header against Northern Ireland.
It caps a great end to the season for Burroughs, who was given game-time by Coventry boss Mark Robins f o r the i r f ina l two Championship games.
The City diehard used to watch them home and away before getting the chance to pull on a shirt himself.
Back then Shef f ield United ace Fleck was one of his favourite City players.
Burroughs said: “I had a Coventry season ticket as a kid, when I got into the academy we got a couple of tickets for all of the games.
“So I was going to nearly every home game and quite a few away. We followed the team around the country.
“When I was a teenager, Fleck was in the team before he went to Sheffield. He was great to watch.
“It would be quite surreal if I could go from watching him as a fan to playing alongside him for Scotland.
“I was a big fan of Coventry back then and he was one of our best players.
“The Championship is a great platform to be seen, not just by my own club but people around the country.
“Hopefully if I establish myself at that level I give myself a chance of moving up to the senior team.
“From the Scotland Under-19s I’ve been around boys like Billy Gilmour and Nathan Patterson who have now been called up for the Euros. It’s great to see how quickly things can change, from Under-19s to being thrown in at the deep end in a major tournament.
“There is def initely a pathway for young players, no matter where you are. You just need a chance to impress.”
Burroughs worked with Billy Stark at Under-19 level and will now get the chance to perform under Scott Gemmill on Wednesday and Saturday.
He’s English- born but qual i f ies through his Hearts- supporting Scots gran. And despite a terrific end to the season, he admits he was still stunned to get the call-up.
Burroughs added: “It came totally out of the blue, I wasn’t expecting it.
“I was actually checking my emails after I’d ordered a T-shirt online and I saw I had one from the SFA!
“I told my dad right away and he was telling me to forward it to him. It was a really big surprise for me but I’m delighted.
“My grandma is Scottish on my dad’s side. She lived near Glasgow but was actually a Hearts fan.
“Playing for Scotland has always meant a lot to me. Whenever I go away I always feel really proud and I’ve enjoyed the experience.
“My family are too and it’s just great playing for my country against top teams in Europe like France and Portugal.
“Getting this Under-21 call-up is a highlights of my career so far.
“The Euro qualifiers start in September so this is a great opportunity to show what I can do and give myself a chance of being called up later in the year.”