Playing for my country is the pinnacle and I want to do it as many times as I can SAYS OLI McBURNIE
At the young age of 22, Oli McBurnie is fast coming to appreciate the wisdom of the old saying: ‘One man’s misfortune is another man’s gain’. It was an injury to Swansea’s Wilfried Bony – a player who has accumulated over £50m in transfer fees – that has given the Leeds-born striker the chance he has seized at club level this season. And it has been Scotland boss Alex McLeish’s misfortune – in the shape of the Leigh Griffiths’ messy withdrawal from the Scotland squad – which has likewise seen McBurnie promoted on the international scene. The decision by the Celtic star to pass up caps to “work on his fitness” has been a source of disquiet for coaches and supporters alike, not least because it follows hard on the heels of James McArthur’s move to withdraw his services for the foreseeable future. McBurnie, though, is nothing if not convincing when stating his commitment to the cause. “I want to play as many games as I can for Swansea and Scotland,” he said. “Playing for my country is the pinnacle. I want to do it as many times as I can. 100% I want to be here, and be part of this group of players. “I was so disappointed to miss the Belgium and Albania games. “There were a couple of things that kept me out. I had a broken toe, and had been getting injections, then I had a problem with my knee. They know their bodies and it’s their decision, I’m sure they’d love to be here, but it is what it is “I spoke to the doctors at Swansea, and I just wasn’t able to join the squad. They knew how desperate I was to come, but they had to think about my fitness. “I could have made the injury worse and ended up missing even more games. “I was gutted, but I was delighted to be back in this time. Everything has cleared up and I feel a lot better now. “Leigh Griffiths and James McArthur have been professionals for a long time, and they know their own bodies. “That’s the experience they have in comparison to me. “They know their bodies and it’s their decision. I’m sure they would love to be here, but it is what it is. “It’s disappointing for the squad not having Leigh here. He’s a great player. “But in terms of my personal gain, it’s an opportunity. Hopefully it’s one I can take with both hands. “I’m here and focused on playing for Scotland. I’m excited for what lies ahead.” McBurnie got 14 minutes in Haifa as a substitute for Steven Naismith. Having hit four goals and delivered two assists in his time leading the line for Swansea in Bony’s absence – and struck up a good relationship with new manager Graham Potter – McBurnie is feeling good about life. “Wilf is just coming back from injury now, and I guess it’s my job to keep him out of the team,” he said. “I am confident I can keep my place. “I am playing good football and enjoying it. I just need to keep scoring goals, and then nobody can argue. “As a team, we have been playing good stuff, and it’s down to me to stay in the team. “Wilf has had an unbelievable career and is a really good player. “There is competition and it’s there to fight for. But it’s my shirt at the minute and, hopefully, I can keep it. “The manager has played a lot of young boys, and it’s meant some of the older lads haven’t been in the squad. “That’s been tough for them, but it just shows the younger players have taken their chance in the team. “And, listen, Wilf is good to learn from. He’s very talkative, and even when he’s not playing, he’ll speak to me at half-time if he sees something. “He will look at where I can improve and help me. It was the same with Fernando Llorente when he was there. “I have had a couple of really good No. 9s to learn from at Swansea, and it’s really helped me. “Wilf went for £28m to Manchester City and had a tough time with injuries there. “But just look at what he did the first time round at Swansea. “He has unbelievable quality, and if we can get him fit and firing, maybe we can play up front together? “We have played with two up front before. It doesn’t have to be me or him. “But I have the No. 9 shirt just now, and I want to be there as the main striker.” Ivory Coast hitman Bony has been recuperating from knee surgery in the summer, but will soon be fit enough to challenge McBurnie for game time. The decision whether he gets that or not will be down to one of the most intriguing managers working in the game. Graham Potter captured the attention of all of European football when leading tiny Swedish club, Ostersunds, to domestic glory and then to the Europa League group stages. However, if it was their victory over Arsenal at the Emirates that was Potter’s proudest moment, it was his unconventional methods that marked him out as different. The Englishman had his players taking part in plays, and even performing ballet in front of the townspeople! McBurnie said: “The new manager at Swansea has been really good. He has lifted the whole club. “There is a new attitude around the place, and that’s exactly what we needed at that time. “Swansea had spent a lot of money to try to stay in the league, and when that didn’t happen, the club felt the impact. “We had to get a lot of big earners out of the club, and didn’t really recoup what they’d been paid, as it was just about cutting the wage bill. “There was a big turnover of players in the summer, and it was tough for the gaffer. So he’s done unbelievably well in the circumstances. “But he hasn’t brought in ballet or any of that stuff! “We did hear about what he had done in Sweden, and when he came to Swansea, we did wonder what he’d bring in. “I don’t think ballet would be my area of expertise, to be fair. “He is very big on team bonding, though. The manager believes a lot can be achieved when you have a
spirit in the dressing-room. “That can go a long way, and you don’t have to have as much quality. “The boys have bought into that, and we have a really young team. It’s been going well. “And I have got on really well with him on a personal note.” It was a connection which helped the striker decide to put an end to speculation about a move to Rangers – which his admitted affection for the club had done nothing to dampen – by signing a new three-year deal in the summer. “The deal was pretty much there, and it was waiting on the manager getting his approval from me, as much as the other way,” he said. “On the first day back, I spoke to him for over an hour about everything. “We spoke about what I wanted to do and what he wanted to do – and we got on really well. “Everything he said was what I wanted to hear, and I said what he wanted to hear. “After that meeting, I rang my agent and said: ‘Get the deal sorted’. I signed it the next week.” That left McBurnie to follow the progress of Steven Gerrard at Ibrox from afar, a manager whose boxoffice appeal outstrips that of the quirky Potter. “Steven Gerrard has done really well. The European run has been incredible,” he said. “Rangers are getting back to where they once were, and where they want to be. “It’s a long season, but if they keep doing what they have been, they will get there. “I haven’t been up to any games yet this season. We haven’t had time off. “I have been watching on TV, though, and the transition has been exciting to watch. “There was speculation about me moving to Rangers, and it’s natural that there were conversations with people, as I had a year left on my Swansea deal. “I was at a time where I had to think about what is best for my career. I’d just been to Barnsley on loan and done well. I was 22 and I needed first-team football. “But when I had that chat with the manager at Swansea and knew I was wanted. So any other teams went out the window.”