Oliver Burke

Hardest and funniest is always Broony

He’s usually up there as best trainer as well, leading by example like a captain should.

Him signing a new deal really was massive on and off the park for us. A real leader and great example to the young guys at the club.

 

No chance of a permanent deal..but would love it.. as long as we spend where we need to in defence too.

 

Oliver Burke has the scars to show how quickly the landscape can change from basking in the sun to shivering in the rain. One minute you’re the main man with a £15m pricetag and the next you’re facing solitary without so much as a chance of making the matchday squad.

Celtic’s refuge this season for a 21-year-old who has been sold so far in his career for figures just shy of £30m has not just offered respite from the trials at West Brom for Burke but, in the words of the striker himself, has reignited his career.

The six-month loan deal for Burke has given him a platform to not just play football but to rediscover a sense of belief that had started to corode as he sat on the outside looking in at West Brom.

“It’s been really successful for me, this loan deal,” he said. “Obviously it’s got me back on track. It’s sort of kickstarted my career back up again. I went from starving from football and not playing at all and almost the forgotten man.

“I’m really happy and I’m happy I chose such a great and big club with great people in it who have put their arms around me and really given me that confidence and belief in myself.

“When you going from being almost maybe the main man, the star man, all those headlines to not being involved at all and being down with the 21s and not being with the first team. When I was at West Brom I’d travel with the team then not actually be in the squad. It has a massive impact on you as a player and almost gives you that disbelief in yourself.

“You don’t believe you want to know what your next step is and where you go from there when things are going so badly.

“This is where I came and it’s been really successful. I’m almost happy these things have happened because it’s made me realise as a player how important it is. Each day, you have to really take it and grab it by the hands.”

Burke’s sharp upturn in fortunes was mirrored this week in a successful jaunt to Cheltenham with some of his Parkhead team-mates. Puzzled by his introduction to the horse racing festival, Burke nevertheless managed to head back to Glasgow on the back of a winning run, although photographic evidence on his choice of attire suggests guidance may still be offered on other matters.


Away from the frivolities off the park, Burke is now part of a team aiming to make history as they bid for an unprecedented treble treble. And if there was some success to take from backing a winner at Cheltenham, it will pale into insignificance as Burke looks to savour the first silverware of his senior career.

With options in January as he sought to make the move away from a miserable time at West Brom, Burke is satisfied that he backed the right horse with his move to Glasgow as he prepares to take away the first trinkets of his career.

“It is a massive motivation,” he said. “I don’t think I have won any silverware so it would be amazing for me and for the club and good for the CV. It really gives me that motivation to push on and help the team as much as I can and keep putting in the performances.

“[My last medal] would probably be like a goalscoring medal or one of those that you get at a trial day when you go to a camp and win a little trophy for scoring the most goals or something like that. I honestly can’t remember.”

Back in the national team for the first time since a friendly game in 2017, Burke will have a decision to make this summer as he looks to keep himself in the frame. It is unlikely that Celtic would be in a position to compete for the player whom West Brom paid £15m for while the change of manager in the Midlands could also point to a fresh opportunity for the striker.


Darren Moore was sacked by West Brom with Burke joking that he seems to be a common denominator with regards to managers coming and going.

“For me personally I think it is important about the choice of club and making sure I am picking the right club and going where I know I am going to play games,” he explained. “Especially right now with the times I have had of picking clubs and not actually playing. It will be an important time but right now I am focusing on helping Celtic and helping my team-mates and from there we will see what options pop up and what happens at West Brom. I am happy to play for whatever manager as long as I am playing and happy and enjoying myself.

“There has been nothing right now. As it stands I am here until the end of the season and from there I will need to see what happens. It is out of my hands at the minute because I am a West Brom player so we have to see what happens in the summer.

“I am not too sure at the minute how it really stands. The change of manager now and stuff like that so it almost changes everything again with a new manager coming in….seems to happen a lot with me. Wherever I go there seems to be a new manager coming in which is just my luck. It would be nice to find a club where the manager actually stays.”

 

:lenny2:

 

Although only a loan he really shows he feels part of the club.

 

Would love to see him stay.

 

I also want to say that Scotland training top is royal blue. Our stuff should never have royal blue on it

 

Ffs

 

Would love that to happen as well. Not likely on a permanent deal unless WBA are prepared to settle for about half what they paid for him at most. Not a fan of loans myself that don't have an option to buy in them but Burke would be an exception for me given his attitude as well as his performances. I would be ok if we had him on loan for the season next year if a permanent deal can't get done.

 

Think we can do much better than Burke, looks good in the Scottish premiership but doesn’t have the technical ability at any higher level

 

He isn’t good enough.

 

Hes useful domestically, was * turgid against Valencia

 

no paddy roberts

 

Have to agree. He's quick and a big lad but a decidedly average footballer.

If the price was around the 1-2m mark then he might be alright to have as another option.

 

His pace causes absolute panic.. but when teams sit he doesn’t have the touch needed..

So all in all he would be too expensive to have that aspect missing from his game. We need that in a forward..

I love his attitude, work rate and his pace could be useful in Europe and would welcome another loan deal, but a permanent move for what WBA would want, no..

 

I think he'd be well worth £6/7m but West Brom won't sell for that.

 

I agree with you on both counts. I would take him on a season loan though given what a great attitude he has and how much he clearly appreciates being at Celtic.

 

I like him, taken to him a lot more than i thought I would.
But think like most, is he really going to be worth the outlay?

If the value is 7million and 30k a week, I think I'd rather push for a Roberts deal at those sort of figures. Different style of play and Roberts offers more to our game style.

Certainly would be keen to explore any aspect of Burke being here again next year though.

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Spending £6/7m on a player who can’t control a ball. Mental.