By sub007 - 11 Sep 2019 8:38 PM
NEWCASTLE Jets are close to finalising a deal with Northern Ireland under-21 captain and senior national squad member Bobby Burns.
Burns is contracted to Scottish Premier League club Hearts and is expected to join the Jets on loan.
The 19-year-old left fullback was on the Northern Ireland bench but not used in a1-0 win over Luxembourg on Friday night.
He then led the under-21s to a 1-all draw with Finland in a 2020-21 European Championship qualifier on Wednesday.
The Newcastle Herald understands that the loan has been agreed to by Hearts and there are only a few minor deals to finalise.
A natural left footer, Burns has played 13 games in the Scottish Premier League.
He would be the third foreigner the Jets have recruited, after former Premier League star and Irishman Wes Hoolahan and Panamanian international Abdiel Arroyo.
Burns is at the opposite end of his career to the experienced Hoolahan and looms as a like-for-like replacement for Ivan Vujica, who has joined new A-League club Western United.
Johnny Koutroumbis and Jason Hoffman have been used at left back during the pre-season.
Koutroumbis is more comfortable on the right or in a central role and Hoffman has played predominantly in attack.
Burns can also be pushed further forward and played at left-stopper against Finland.
Signed by Hearts, who boast Australians Oliver Bozanic and Ben Garrucio, on a three-year deal in 2018, he was loaned out to Livingston and made eight appearances in the Scottish Premier League including a scoreless draw with a Tommy Rogic-led Celtic. He returned to Hearts in January and scored one goal in five appearances but has not featured in the opening five games of the 2019-20 season.
If, as expected, the loan deal with the Jets is finalised, Burns could be here within a fortnight.
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6379988/a-league-jets-set-to-sign-irish-teenage-star/?cs=7580
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By notarobot - 12 Sep 2019 11:46 AM
+xHe would obviously have been deemed good enough to be a starter at LB. It's not hard, LB is the weakest position for nearly every HAL club. If he's played SPL then he'd be ahead of any Aussie youth international LB who would only have played NPL.
Gersbach, OToole and Vidjia all played A league
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