OLIVER Burke’s opening goal for Scotland Under-20s against the Czech Republic at this summer’s Toulon Tournament in France showed exactly what this young RB Leipzig player is capable of.
After intercepting the ball on the halfway line, the Kirkcaldy-born talent burst away from a host of startled defenders who struggled to keep up with his devilish speed, and fired home an impressive individual goal. He made the opposing side look scared and amateurish.
A quick search on YouTube confirms the 20-year-old forward, who also has five full caps has been capable of such moments of magic from an early age. However, Scotland’s most exciting young talent is finding that being able to gallop past retreating defenders with ease is not enough, certainly in Germany.
Over the space of just 30 games for Nottingham Forest, Burke went from a promising prospect on the bench to a full-blown starter. After just six goals in the Championship, comparisons were being made with Gareth Bale.
Yet, as Leipzig discovered, while Burke, on whom they shelled out a record £13 million for a Scottish player, may sprint and dribble like Bale, he doesn’t share the Wales international’s all-round talents on the pitch. And it has cost him game time in the Bundesliga. Despite being able to play on both wings and through the middle as a striker, Burke found himself in a squad full of talented and ultimately better players in each position.
At right wing, Burke’s strongest role, he was tasked with dislodging Austria international Marcel Sabitzer. The 22-year-old had joined the year before and played an ever-present role in Leipzig’s promotion to the Bundesliga. Although not as technically gifted
as Burke, Sabitzer was favoured by coach Ralph Hasenhuttl for his industrious and reliable control of the right flank.
The opposite wing was even further from Burke’s grasp, with the club’s playmaker, Emil Forsberg, occupying that role with absolute authority. The Swede bagged 19 assists and eight goals from his 27 league games in the previous campaign and with his finesse and creativity, most of Europe’s top clubs are chasing his signature this summer.
As if to add insult to injury, from Burke’s point of view, Leipzig have also signed Portuguese Under-20 star Bruma from Galatasaray. An exciting young winger who can play on the left or right, he will undoubtedly leapfrog Burke in the pecking order before the start of the season.
Burke’s key attribute is his ability to score goals, but alongside towering target man Yussuf Poulsen and Germany’s most dynamic and promising No 9 in Timo Werner, the Scot looks limited in what he can bring to the table.
Indeed, the goals that made Burke stand out in England all came about from him outrunning opponents to a long ball or simply sprinting past defenders in a straight line.
Although he might one day be capable of drifting between lines to find space, holding the ball up in tight spaces or indeed setting up his team-mates with assists, he hasn’t shown he can do that just yet and despite a full year in Leipzig, he remains a limited player in a squad full of boundless talent and potential.
Perhaps the most damning statement came when Hasenhuttl recently denied claims that Burke might be available for loan or transfer after a lacklustre first season in Germany, and added that he was disappointed with Burke’s progress.
“He’s not yet showed what he was bought for,” muttered one of Germany’s most well-regarded coaches, almost a year after criticising the player for having an “empty hard drive”.
Although Leipzig seem genuine in their desire to turn their £13m prospect into a £60m star, Burke may struggle to stay devoted to the cause if his career continues to stagnate in Germany.
At 20, he has time to develop into the player he was being touted as last year. But another bit-part role in Leipzig’s new season may force him to consider his options.
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