Graham Burke was released by Aston Villa in the summer of 2015 after six years with the club.
Former Aston Villa forward Graham Burke is excelling following a move to Shamrock Rovers in his native Ireland last February.
Following a tricky debut campaign riddled with suspensions, Burke has settled in magnificently in the new season.
Playing as a secondary striker, Burke tops the League of Ireland Premier Division scoring charts with six goals to his name with Rovers sitting in second place.
The 24-year-old fired in a crucial winner away at Limerick on Monday evening to keep the gap between themselves and reigning champions Cork City at just three points after seven games.
The Dublin-born youngster gained a tremendous reputation while in the youth ranks at Aston Villa, firing Villa’s under-19s team to 2012/13 NextGen Series glory.
Burke finished as tournament top goalscorer with a seven-goal haul, including two penalties bagged against Chelsea in the final.
Villa saw off strong competition from Europe’s finest academies, with Burke contributing to victories over Ajax, Olympiacos and Sporting Lisbon along the way.
However, Burke’s star fell and his trajectory changed as Villa’s first team remained embroiled in Premier League relegation battles for a number of consecutive seasons.
With competition from more experienced pros Christian Benteke, Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor, Burke chose to accept loan spells with Shrewsbury Town and Notts County. He joined the latter permanently in the summer of 2015, with his Villa contract up.
In a comfortable environment and a happy place, Burke has found his feet with the Hoops. Should the Irishman continue putting tremendous numbers on the board, could he return to England with unfinished business on the mind?
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