James McFadden comments on West Brom-owned Celtic ace Oliver Burke

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Oliver Burke joined Brendan Rodgers’s Celtic on loan from West Bromwich Albion in the January transfer window.

James McFadden has suggested to The Glasgow Evening Times that West Bromwich Albion-owned Celtic winger Oliver Burke has not been coached properly.

Burke is a winger by trade, but the former Nottingham Forest star has been deployed as a striker by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers since he signed the Scotland international on loan from West Brom in the Championship in England in the January transfer window.

While the 21-year-old has yet to play the striker’s role perfectly in Europe for the Hoops, in domestic football in Scotland, the youngster has been superb.

According to WhoScored, Burke has made four starts and two substitute appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops, scoring three goals in the process.

Scotland assistant head coach McFadden has spoken highly of Burke, and he believes that the youngster is being coached properly now.

McFadden told The Glasgow Evening Times: “The biggest thing that was stopping him was he wasn’t playing. The way he has been playing since he came up has been brilliant. You can see that he is developing a game sense.

“Some of his play has been, maybe not eye-catching, but he is holding it up, he is bringing others into play and he is making good movements that you would expect a striker to play.

“Maybe when Oli was younger because he was so strong and quick, coaches would say ‘oh, he is a winger, we’ll just stick him out wide. We’ll not teach him anything. We’ll just stick him out wide and give him the ball’. And that happens to a lot of fast players like Oli who have an athletic body shape.

“I imagine he has not had an awful lot of instruction because of that. Just give it to Oli and he’ll do the rest. It is learning. It is alright telling a player do this and do that.”

Progress

Burke is only 21 years of age, and given his obvious talent and calibre, it is safe to say that the Scotland international has a bright future ahead of him.

True, the Championship and the Premier League in England are much higher levels than the Scottish Premiership, but playing regularly for Celtic will enhance Burke’s confidence and will also help him develop and progress as a footballer.