Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos ‘bolter’ Nathan Burns relishing chance on international stage
NATHAN Burns describes himself as “the late bolter” of the Socceroos squad - but now that he’s in the Asian Cup mix he won’t be satisfied with a bit-part role.
NATHAN Burns describes himself as “the late bolter” of the Socceroos squad.
But now that he’s in the Asian Cup mix he won’t be satisfied with playing a bit-part role this month.
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And if his busy cameo, albeit brief, off the bench against Kuwait on Friday night was any indication then the boy from Orange in central New South Wales may just have a big role to play in the Socceroos quest for a first major title.
On two separate occasions Burns could have been a Melbourne Victory player if Ernie Merrick had his way.
Finally, after years of overtures, Burns finally took up an offer from the two-time A-League winning coach to join Wellington Phoenix at the start of this season.
The rest, as they say, is history, with Burns striking 10 goals in 12 games to top the A-League scoring charts for the high-flying Phoenix.
“Ernie called me up and he said to me ‘we want you as a main part of our set up, I like your style’,” Burns said.
“He’s been trying to get me for years. I watched the back end of Wellington’s last season and they were very good, played a good style of football, they just didn’t have the right players in place.”
Merrick said on Sunday he’d had an eye on Burns ever since he helped now Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou with the national under 17s and under 20s sides.
And after at last getting his man, Merrick said he is not at all surprised about the impact he has had for Wellington.
“When he was coming out of the Australian Institute of Sport I tried to sign him at Melbourne Victory but he went to Adelaide for two years,” Merrick said.
“When I tried to sign him at the end of his Adelaide stint he went overseas and then when he was overseas I tried to get him again (to Wellington) knowing he was looking for a loan move, but he went to Newcastle.
“So fourth time lucky I got him and we’re so happy with him. I’m fairly tenacious in chasing someone I like, especially someone like him who I always felt never had reached his full potential.
“Now he’s showing what he can do. He’s always been a very good player technically and with his speed and determination to get in to goal scoring areas I think it’s all come together for him.”
Burns said he loves a good roller-coaster and admits his career has been just that.
His time in Adelaide (2006-08) reaped nine goals from 35 games and things started out well in Greece for powerhouse club AEK Athens, but ultimately he would play just 38 games and score two goals between 2008-12, which also included a year-long loan spell at second division club AOK Kerkyra.
Two seasons marred by injury at Korean club Incheon United restricted him to just three games — although the 26-year-old said he is desperate to return to the K-League one day to test himself again — so it was back to the A-League an a 12-game loan stint with Newcastle last season before the move across the ditch.
If you had asked him at the start of 2014-15 if he thought he would make the Asian Cup squad, Burns said “I would have been hopeful”.
“But I saw that a lot of the players that went to the World Cup were A-League players, so I knew that if I had a good start to the season there was always that possibility,” Burns said.
“It’s been a quick turnaround for me obviously.
“It’s been a good couple of months and (coach) Ange (Postecoglou) does say he likes his players in form.
“It did come out of the blue a little bit, but I’m obviously feeling really good and hopefully I can make an impact in this tournament.”
While Burns is hopeful, Merrick is in no doubt.
“I think he’ll shine in the Asian Cup,” Merrick said.
“There’s no doubt about his ability, he’s a very confident lad, and with his pace I’m very sure he can become a regular in the national team.”
Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos ‘bolter’ Nathan Burns relishing chance on international stage