Bobby Burns (footballer)

Bobby Burns
Personal information
Full name Robert Joseph Burns[1]
Date of birth (1999-10-07) 7 October 1999 (age 25)[2]
Place of birth Antrim, Northern Ireland
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Left back, Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Galway United
Number 18
Youth career
Lisburn Distillery
Cliftonville
2015–2016 Glenavon
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Glenavon 39 (5)
2017 → Knockbreda (loan) 8 (8)
2018–2020 Heart of Midlothian 5 (1)
2018–2019 → Livingston (loan) 8 (0)
2019–2020 → Newcastle Jets (loan) 16 (0)
2020–2021 Barrow 0 (0)
2020 → Glentoran (loan) 3 (0)
2021–2024 Glentoran 106 (15)
2024– Galway United 11 (0)
International career‡
2015 Northern Ireland U17 2 (0)
2018 Northern Ireland U19 3 (0)
2018–2020 Northern Ireland U21 9 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 January 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:07, 12 November 2020 (UTC)

Robert Joseph Burns (born 7 October 1999) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a left back or midfielder for League of Ireland team Galway United.

Early and personal life

Burns was born in Antrim.[3] He was the Head Boy at St. Malachy's College, and had intended to study mathematics at University College Dublin or Queen's University Belfast before becoming a professional footballer.[4]

Club career

Glenavon

Burns played youth football for Lisburn Distillery and Cliftonville before joining Glenavon in June 2015.[4]

Burns made his senior debut for Glenavon in the 2015–16 season final game against Linfield at 16 years old.[5] The following season he went on loan with Knockbreda in January 2016. The club were battling relegation but Burns played attacking midfield and scored 8 goals in the final 8 league games to steer the club away from relegation on the final day of the season.[6]

Burns then returned to Glenavon for the 2017–18 season. At Glenavon he scored 8 goals in 41 appearances, was nominated for the NI Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year Award, and won Glenavon's Young Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year awards.[3] Whilst at Glenavon he received offers from English clubs Rochdale and Bristol City but decided to stay at home and complete his A Level qualifications in school first.[4]

Heart of Midlothian

Burns signed a three-year contract with Scottish club Heart of Midlothian in May 2018, for an undisclosed fee, with effect from June 2018.[3][7] He described his professional football career as a 'dream come true', and stated he wanted to break into the Northern Ireland senior squad.[8]

After being involved in pre-season fixtures,[9] he made his competitive debut for the club on 18 July 2018, in a Scottish League Cup game against Cove Rangers, where he played the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 victory.[10][11] In August 2018, Hearts loaned Burns to Livingston.[12] His loan ended in January 2019.[13]

Burns then returned to Hearts in January 2019. He played a number of games before the end of the season, including an Edinburgh derby and a Scottish Cup semi-final.[14] Burns scored his first goal for Hearts in a 2–1 defeat against Aberdeen. He was then listed as an unused substitute for the 2019 Scottish Cup Final, which Hearts lost 2–1 to Celtic.[15]

Loan to Newcastle Jets

In September 2019 he moved on loan to Australian side Newcastle Jets.[16][17] He said he hoped the move would earn him his first senior international cap.[18] Due to the shutdown of the league due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Burns left Australia in April 2020.[19][20]

Barrow

On 4 August 2020, Burns joined League Two side Barrow.[21][22][23][24]

On 3 October 2020 he moved on loan to Glentoran.[25] On 2 November he suffered a double leg break during a match.[26][27][28]

On 28 July 2021, Burns had his contract terminated by mutual consent.[29]

Glentoran

On 31 July 2021, three days after his departure from Barrow, Burns returned to Glentoran on a permanent contract.[30]

Burns was seriously injured during a match on 28 October 2023 after colliding with pitch side advertising hoardings, eventually being stretchered off.[31][32]

On 7 May 2024, it was announced that Burns would be one of ten players departing Glentoran upon the expiry of their contracts.[33]

Galway United

On 26 June 2024, Burns joined League of Ireland team Galway United.[34][35]

International career

He has been capped by Northern Ireland at under-19 and under-21 levels,[5] and trained with the senior team.[3][4]

Playing style

Burns was primarily a central midfielder, but also played as a left defender and as an attacker.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Notification of shirt numbers: Barrow" (PDF). English Football League. p. 6. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Bobby Burns: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "HEARTS SNAP UP BURNS". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e Patrick McPartlin (8 May 2018). "Four things Hearts fans should know about Bobby Burns–". The Scotsman. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b Bobby Burns at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  6. ^ "The Big Interview: Bobby Burns relishing his big chance with Glenavon in the Premiership". Belfast Live. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Hearts: Glenavon's Bobby Burns agrees three year deal at Tynecastle". BBC Sport. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  8. ^ Gareth Hanna (7 May 2018). "Hearts move was perfect to make my full-time dream come true, says Bobby Burns". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  9. ^ Barry Anderson (5 July 2018). "Bobby Burns targets first-team place in new-look Hearts team". The Scotsman. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Games played by Bobby Burns in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Bobby Burns makes competitive debut in Hearts' first game of the season". Belfast Telegraph. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  12. ^ Brian McLauchlin (28 August 2018). "Bobby Burns joins Livingston as Hearts prepare for Demetri Mitchell return". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Hearts: David Vanecek arrives from Teplice as Jimmy Dunne returns to Burnley". BBC Sport. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Local Hearts hero Bobby Burns dreaming of Scottish Cup final glory". The Irish News. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Espies secures Celtics Treble Treble". BBC Sport. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Bobby Burns: Hearts defender makes loan switch to Newcatle Jets". BBC Sport. 18 September 2019.
  17. ^ "Bobby Burns confirms Hearts exit to join Newcastle Jets on loan deal". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com.
  18. ^ "To Australia and back in search of a first Northern Ireland cap: Bobby Burns on his move to Newcastle Jets". Belfasttelegraph – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  19. ^ Davidson, John (5 April 2020). "Burns: Playing games behind closed doors was awful". FTBL.
  20. ^ "Football, coronavirus and Australian life". BBC Sport.
  21. ^ "BURNS TO EXIT HEARTS". www.heartsfc.co.uk. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Bobby Burns: Barrow sign young defender from Hearts for new League Two season". BBC Sport. 4 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Barrow AFC new boy excited by his first crack at English football". The Mail.
  24. ^ "Why Bobby Burns decided to leave Hearts for Barrow with help of Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough". Belfasttelegraph – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  25. ^ "Glens sign Burns on loan from Barrow". BBC Sport.
  26. ^ "Burns 'devastated' at double leg break". BBC Sport.
  27. ^ "Bobby Burns vows to return 'better than ever' after confirming double leg fracture". Belfasttelegraph – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  28. ^ "Bobby Burns Sustains Serious Injury". www.barrowafc.com.
  29. ^ "Burns' Contract Cancelled By Mutual Consent". www.barrowafc.com. 28 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Bobby Burns: Back for good". www.glentoran.com. 31 July 2021.
  31. ^ Fullerton, Gareth (28 October 2023). "'He's not in a good way': Warren Feeney offers update on Bobby Burns injury". Belfast Live.
  32. ^ "Glens boss Feeney says thoughts with injured Bobby Burns" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  33. ^ "Player Departures Announced". glentoran.com. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  34. ^ "Burns joins Galway United after leaving Glentoran". bbc.com. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  35. ^ "Ex-Glentoran ace Bobby Burns says he is 'absolutely delighted' as move to Galway United is announced". newsletter.co.uk. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.