Oli McBurnie
Scottish striker for Hull City and Scotland.
Oliver Robert McBurnie, a striker born on 4 June 1996, now plays for Hull City. He started in Bradford City's senior squad after youth football with Leeds United, then moved to Swansea City. Though born in England, he chose Scotland, his parents' homeland, and debuted for their senior national team in March 2018.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Oliver Robert McBurnie
- Born
- 4 June 1996
- Birthplace
- Leeds, England
- Height
- 1.88 m / 6 ft 2 in
- Position
- Striker
- Current club
- Hull City
Facts from the source article.
Club career
McBurnie started at Leeds United's academy from a young age, playing with Lewie Coyle and Tyler Denton in the youth setup, before being released at under-14s level. He joined Bradford City's academy and played for Manchester United in the 2013 Milk Cup. Bradford gave him a three-year professional contract on 23 August 2013. Manager Phil Parkinson considered involving him with the first team in November 2013.
McBurnie made his professional debut as a substitute in the FA Cup on 9 November 2013, and his first senior start on 26 December 2013 at age 17. He was offered a new contract at the end of the 2013–14 season. In September 2014, Parkinson told him to step up following an injury to James Hanson. In October 2014, Parkinson hinted at a loan move.
McBurnie joined Chester on a one-month loan on 22 January 2015, was recalled early on 20 February due to first-team injuries, and re-joined Chester on loan on 6 March. On 13 July 2015, he signed for Swansea City on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee later revealed as £250,000. In November 2015, he joined Newport County on an initial one-month loan, scoring a hat-trick on debut as a substitute on 28 November. The loan was extended but he was recalled on 24 December 2015. On 7 March 2016, he joined Bristol Rovers on loan for the remainder of the 2015–16 season.
International career
McBurnie was called up for a Scotland under-19 training camp in September 2013, and to the under-19 squad in November 2014. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw against the Netherlands. Under-19 manager Ricky Sbragia praised him in April 2015, as did club manager Phil Parkinson. He scored one goal in four under-19 appearances.
He moved up to the under-21 team in 2015, making 12 appearances and scoring two goals. New senior manager Alex McLeish selected him for the first time in March 2018. McBurnie made his full international debut on 23 March in a 1–0 defeat to Costa Rica, and later took part in Scotland's mini tour of Latin America, losing to Peru and Mexico. In March 2019, after his breakthrough campaign for Swansea, he said he was ready to stake a claim for a Scotland striking role.
In September 2019 he stated his commitment to the national team after a social media video. His dedication was questioned in August 2020 after he withdrew from the squad but played a club match; manager Steve Clarke defended him. He was criticised again in November 2020 and again defended by Clarke. That month he played in both UEFA Euro 2020 play-off matches, scoring in the penalty shoot-out win against Serbia that qualified Scotland for their first major tournament in over 20 years. He was not selected for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament due to injury in May 2021.
Personal life
As a kid, McBurnie supported Rangers. In October 2019, he faced a drink-driving charge, and by July 2020, he was hit with a £28,500 fine and a 16-month driving ban. Earlier that year, in January 2020, the Football Association issued a warning over his behavior around Swansea City fans during the South Wales derby, after he was accused of making an offensive hand signal toward Cardiff City supporters. In February 2021, he stepped up to cover the funeral costs for a 26-year-old Swansea fan who had passed away.
On 10 May 2021, Sheffield United said they would look into a social media video that seemed to show McBurnie in a scuffle; North Yorkshire Police reported that a 24-year-old man had been arrested over an incident where a 21-year-old suffered facial injuries. The next month, police confirmed the matter was resolved, with two men receiving a penalty notice and a caution. In May 2022, authorities probed another video that allegedly captured McBurnie stamping on a fan—he claimed he was just trying to step over the person.
That June, Nottinghamshire Police charged McBurnie and Sheffield United teammate Rhian Brewster with common assault linked to disorder after a match on 17 May 2022; both strongly denied it. Brewster’s charge was dropped in July 2022, but McBurnie’s stuck. In August 2022, his case moved toward trial after he pleaded not guilty. On 15 December 2022, a court found him not guilty.
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