NOT ONLY DID Graham Burke score five times against Cork City, he did it with an injured calf. He took a kick in the early stages of the game, but played on regardless and it wasn’t until he woke up the following morning that he realised the problem was worse than he initially thought.
The injury kept him on the sidelines for last Friday’s enthralling 3-2 win at home to Dundalk.
“Yeah, I was kicking and heading every ball. You’re sitting in the stands thinking, ‘I’d love to be out there.’ It’s a bit hard to watch, but you have to watch it. You’re thinking, ‘Why didn’t I just come off? If I had come off I might be playing tonight. But the lads were brilliant, and it’s a massive statement win in terms of the league, as the media hyped it up as the biggest game of the league so far and it played out that way.”
Burke hopes to start running again on Monday, and is targeting a return against either Finn Harps on Friday week or, more likely, Derry City on the following Monday night.
In Burke’s absence, Rovers look to at least protect their three-point lead at the top of the league away to Sligo Rovers on Saturday night.
Burke has returned from Preston North End on loan, choosing a return to Rovers last summer when he was told that he wasn’t considered first-choice at Deepdale. The present deal expires in July, with Rovers understood to be keen to extend it.
“I assessed my options to decide on what was the best fit for me. Going off the last time at Shamrock Rovers, I knew how they wanted to play, I knew the squad was improving and I knew how they were doing in the season. People might not see it like that, people might see it as, ‘Why’s he done that?’ but I saw it as the best fit for me, and I thought I could play my best stuff there.
“There were ups and downs [at Preston] but I don’t think in my head that it’s over in the slightest. I obviously need to touch base with them and see if they want me to come back, or whether they think I should continue with what I’m doing. We’ll have conversations when the time comes, but I’m not really thinking about it at this moment.
“I love playing for Stephen Bradley, he’s been a huge influence on my career, I’ll just get on with my football.
“I’ve started the season well and we have plans of making it a very successful season. It’s only a start, but the Cup win gives us that hunger to go on and try to do something special.”
Graham Burke was speaking at the launch of eir Sport’s upcoming soccer coverage. eir sport will broadcast 15 SSE Airtricity League games in the coming months and will continue to broadcast all of the Republic of Ireland’s home Uefa U21 qualifiers.
