Forget Bale... and follow Murdo
GARETH BALE, in spite of all the tiresome comparisons, is not the man young Oliver Burke should be modelling himself upon as he prepares for a new life in Germany.
As fine a player as he is, the Welshman is no cultural ambassador.
Unless things have changed dramatically of late, Press conferences during his fourth season at Real Madrid will still be held in English.
He admits his trips home involve loading up on bars of Galaxy and Dairy Milk and bags of PG Tips.
To give himself the best possible chance of success at RB Leipzig, Burke should, instead, take his lead from role models closer to his Scottish roots.
The Bundesliga has been a happy home for several Scots over the years.
Murdo Macleod embraced life there, learned the language, played more than 100 games for Borussia Dortmund and won two German Cups.
Paul Lambert transformed his career at the Westfalenstadion. He bought into the philosophies of Ottmar Hitzfeld and turned from a so-so midfielder to a man capable of keeping Zinedine Zidane in his pocket.
Alan McInally, too, soaked in the methodology of Bayern Munich, making a big contribution to a title win in his first season and scoring in a European Cup semi-final against AC Milan.
Scotland, as a nation, desperately needs more players broadening their horizons in Europe.
Total cultural immersion is more likely to help Burke prosper than sitting in the house watching Sky Sports and eating Cadbury’s Creme Eggs.