Oli McBurnie has returned to great form this season. In repeated media interviews, he has expressed his passion to return to the Scotland squad. Is he worth a recall by Steve Clarke for the summer trip to the World Cup?
| Name | Oli McBurnie |
| Age | 29 |
| Club | Hull City |
| Opta global rating of his club’s division | 79.7 (9th globally) |
| Goals this season (all competitions) | 15 |
| Assists this season | 7 |
| SMNT caps | 16 |
| SMNT goals | 0 |
| Date of last SMNT cap | 31 March 2021 (4-0 home win v Faroe Islands) |
Oli McBurnie this season
Oli McBurnie is currently 3rd equal in the goalscoring chart this season in the English 2nd tier with 14 goals. He averages a goal every 182 mins of playing time in the league. He also has 7 assists in the league and a league cup goal. His all-action style still isn’t just in his rampaging attacks. He can often be seen helping in defence, especially defending set-pieces. Many have called for his recall to the Scotland squad, given the shortage of goals from strikers in the Scotland squad, and by Scotsmen playing for their clubs.
Oli McBurnie’s Scotland record
McBurnie’s detractors argue he hasn’t scored for Scotland in his 16 full caps. Those arguing for him though point out:
- While he has 16 caps, he averages around 45 mins in those 16 games. Hence if his minutes playing for Scotland were condensed, he has played the equivalent of 8 Scotland games at 90 minutes per game
- While it doesn’t count in his goals tally, he showed nerves of steel converting his spot kick in the shoot-out win v Serbia in Belgrade, helping Scotland qualify for Euro 2020
- His last full cap was over 5 years ago.
Oli McBurnie’s press comments in March
As McBurnie himself said in his March Daily Record interview:
“I’m definitely a better player now than when I was getting Scotland caps before. When I look back, I don’t think I ever really did myself justice with the national team.“
“There were times when it was such a big occasion, I was trying to do things I wouldn’t normally do at club level. After games, I’d say to myself, ‘Why did you do that’?“
“But with the experience I’ve had in the Premier League and then going to Spain and playing in La Liga – I’m 100 percent a better player now. I’ve added things to my game that I didn’t have five or six years ago.“
He added in that interview:
“I also think I’m a better person now as well. I’m definitely more mature. If having a kid didn’t make me grow up, going to another country definitely did.“
He then also added:
“I’m playing as well now as I have done in recent years so I’m hoping to give the manager something to think about. Steve has always been supportive of me.“
“There were times when I probably wasn’t the easiest person to stick up for – but he definitely did that. We’ve always got on well. I haven’t been in contact with him for a couple of years but that’s not his job.“
“His job is to manage the Scotland team and he’s been excellent at that.”
There’s a lot of positive stuff from McBurnie in there, putting forward his case and sticking up for the Scotland team boss.
McBurnie’s comments this week
He again expressed his passion for a recall, in an interview this week with Hull Live:
“I rang the manager when his last squad was getting announced, just to kind of see his feelings on things. He said to me that he builds his squads on loyalty, and that Che (Adams) and Dykesy (Dykes) have done really well for him, so he sees them two ahead of me.”
“He doesn’t see me as a third or fourth-choice striker, so he’s comparing me against Che and Dykesy, and he sees them ahead of me.”
“Listen, I’d do anything to get back into that Scotland squad. I feel like I’m playing as well as I have done in however long, and all I can do is keep performing for Hull and see where it gets me.”
McBurnie’s passion and desire to represent Scotland is commendable. It’s questionable what, “He doesn’t see me as a third or fourth-choice striker”, means. Given Clarke didn’t select McBurnie in March, it could easily be interpreted as meaning Clarke sees McBurnie as no higher than 5th in his pecking order (rather than in the pecking order around the same position as Adams and Dykes). Without hearing 1st hand McBurnie’s conversation with Clarke, it is difficult to know exactly what was said and just as importantly, what was meant. There is now also that, George Hirst was reasonably impressive in the March internationals, pushing Hirst further to the forefront of Clarke’s mind.
McBurnie was in that phone call with Clarke and knows Clarke as a personality. We can only presume McBurnie has read the situation well enough, so that he hasn’t disclosed what could potentially have been seen by the naturally introverted Clarke as a private conversation. If McBurnie has read that incorrectly, he has taken a risk by going public. All the more so given how squad harmony has been the central tenet of Clarke’s reign as Scotland boss.
Should Steve Clarke recall Oli McBurnie?
McBurnie’s numbers for the season are impressive, better than any other Scots striker with a chance of getting on the plane to USA. It remains to be seen, though, will Clarke give Oli McBurnie the chance to add to his 32 caps at all levels?
