He counts Nottingham Forest, Celtic and West Brom amongst former clubs
A former Celtic and Nottingham Forest star has signed for a Bundesliga club in an early summer transfer.
Oliver Burke’s association with German football started in 2016 when making a big move to RB Leipzig, where he spent a year before returning to the UK at West Brom. He impressed when starting out at Nottingham Forest, playing 31 times in red and ending up in Celtic during the 2018/19 campaign.
Burke played 19 times with four goals and three assists, since featuring for Alaves, Sheffield United, Millwall, Birmingham City and most recently Werder Bremen. He netted five times this season in the German top flight, attracting the interest of Union Berlin.
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Oliver Burke signs for Union Berlin
He now signs for them and will link up with Josip Juranovic, the former Celtic right back also at the club. Speaking on his move, the capped Scotland player and ex Hoops plus Nottingham Forest man said: “Union are a special club – honest, combative and loud. That's exactly what suits me.
“I want to give it my all here, soak up the energy of the fans and make a difference with the team. The decision to join Union came from my gut feeling and I had very good talks with the people in charge, which is why I am convinced that this is the right step for me.”
Horst Heldt, Union’s director of men’s professional football, added it was physical attributes like pace and power that proved key to a done deal: “Oliver has the profile we were looking for, pace, physicality and the ability to decide games in tight moments. His energy and determination make him a good fit for us. We know his qualities from the Bundesliga and are convinced that his experience and mentality will make him a valuable addition to our team.”
Celtic mentioned in transfer unveiling
Former clubs like Celtic and Nottingham Forest have all had a mention in the unveiling statement. Union Berlin said: “Whether it's been against Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart or Holstein Kiel – Oliver Burke’s name is associated with painful memories for many clubs in Germany. The 6’2” right-footer has a penchant for late goals – and for deciding games in the last minute. His strike in Werder Bremen's away win in Dortmund is legendary. BVB had been leading 2-0 until the 89th minute, but Burke finished superbly in stoppage time to give the visitors a 3-2 win. He also spoiled VfB Stuttgart's day home game last season with both goals in a 2-1 comeback win, bagging the winner in the 90th minute. Burke made 42 appearances for Werder Bremen, contributing eight goals and one assist.
“Before his time on the Weser, he began his football career in the youth ranks of Nottingham Forest, where he made his professional debut on 19 September 2014 at the age of 17 in a 3-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup. In 2016, Burke made the leap to the Bundesliga and joined newly promoted RB Leipzig. He scored his first Bundesliga goal in only his third game, against 1. FC Köln. After a year, he returned to England to join West Bromwich Albion, from where he moved on loan to Celtic in January 2019. There, he won the league and cup double.
“This was followed by a season in Spain's LaLiga with Deportivo Alavés (31 appearances, one goal) before he returned to England in 2020 to join Sheffield United. Two years later, Burke returned to the Bundesliga, at the newly promoted Werder Bremen. After spells on loan at Millwall and Birmingham City, the 13-time Scottish international brings pace, experience and a knack for late goals to the Alte Försterei.”
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