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Personal
Fullname: Mark Burchill
Height: 5.08
Weight: 11.09
Born: 18 Aug 1980
Birthplace: Broxburn
Signed: 3 June 1997
Left: 24 Aug 2001
Position: Forward
Debut: Airdrie 1-0 Celtic, League Cup 19 Aug 1998
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 6 caps
Internationals Goals: 0 goals
Trivia
- Fastest hat-trick in European Club football – Mark Burchill v Jeunesse Esch of Luxembourg in 2000.
Biog
Once touted as ‘the next big thing‘, striker Mark Burchill was a product of the Celtic Boys Club, and sure and behold he was to have an exceptional start to his Celtic career. It seemed to many that the club had found a gem but into the long-term it was not to be.
He joined the senior ranks at Parkhead in 1997 and made his first team debut in season 1998-99, netting 8 times in just 19 appearances, the bulk of which were from the bench. It wasn’t all easy as he debuted in a humiliating 1-0 defeat to Airdrie in the league cup in August 1998, but things picked up fast from there.
The most memorable of his first round of goals was the final score in Celtic’s 5-1 rout of Rangers on 21st November 1998 (‘The Humping’). For a young player this was a great return and scoring against Rangers in what was to be a very memorable game, it was quite a stage for his talents.
Burchill was actually signed almost by accident. Willie McStay told the story of how this came about.
“He was asked to go to Strathclyde Park to look at a couple of Under-14’s playing against Dundee Utd – Lawrence Haggart (tragically murdered) and Jamie Smith. These latter two impressed enough to be offered S-Form papers but it was a small nippy forward that caught McStay’s eye. Burchill became one of McStay’s first signings to the Youth programme and the first to break into the First Team squad and win a debut.“
Possessing an awesome turn of pace, he was undoubtedly an exciting prospect and his speed and tender years saw the more excitable members of the Scottish media christen him ‘Scotland’s Michael Owen‘. According to the press at that time Arsenal were leading a host of top English clubs keen to lure the promising Burchill down south.
Prone to niggling injuries and faced with competition from Mark Viduka and Henrik Larsson, Burchill could not command a regular starting slot and after such a glittering start to his career the Broxburn-born star faded from the limelight almost as quickly as he had burst onto the scene. The managers (then Barnes/Dalglish) could have utilised Burchill more but preferred others such as the often criticised Ian Wright.
In many ways he had been hyped up too much, and it had affected him. Possibly overrated his ability and he had his failings, for example on occasions he’d rather try (and fail) to score from a difficult position than play a simple pass for a team-mate to knock the ball into the net. His aforementioned pace was a great asset, but he never learned to slow down and lift his head before shooting. Continually pulled shots wide. Needed better coaching or just greater experience.
His appearances in the Hoops became more fleeting and unconvincing and Burchill was becoming clearly frustrated and unsettled at his lack of opportunities. Keen to taste regular first team football, Burchill made it be known that he was no longer happy to warm the Parkhead bench and wait for his chance, especially when in the summer of 2000 new Bhoys boss Martin O’Neill splashed out a club record £6 million on Chris Sutton.
From that moment his exit seemed inevitable, but before he departed, Burchill produced a final swansong in the Hoops with a hat-trick in just four minutes as Celtic demolished Luxembourg no-hopers Jeunesse Esch 7-0 at Parkhead in a UEFA Cup tie on 24th August 2000. This gave his sympathisers hope that he could still turn things around for himself at Celtic and make a name at the club for the future, but it was too much to ask.
Celtic had brought in some great names and others later on. Martin O’Neill was placing his faith more on buying in established talent in the early days rather than rearing up talent, and players like Burchill were to sadly be hindered due to this policy. However, Martin O’Neill did state publicly that he wanted Burchill to stay and make a go of it. Burchill had the chance to learn from Henrik, Sutton and (later) Hartson, but some would say that he had decided he should have been starting matches and blew the greatest opportunity anyone could have as an apprentice.
The next month he was off to Birmingham on loan and, after a brief spell at Ipswich, the following summer the man once believed to be the hottest prospect in Scottish football made a move to Portsmouth on 24th Aug 2001. It was sad to see, as many had hoped for so much from him and in fairness he’d done as well as he could. That should be respected, and he will be remembered for some great moments.
He’d also played little part in the incredible treble winning season of 2000/01, and sitting on the bench was likely frustrating. He was a good talent but needed more gametime, something that with the wealth of talent at Celtic, that could not be guaranteed to him at the time.
Post-Celtic Career
Having moved to Portsmouth for £600-900k he signed up for a 5-year contract and had a fine start at the club, but soon he suffered a serious cruciate injury which kept him out of the game for some time. A change of manager to the media favourite Harry Rednapp at the club the next season didn’t help him out, and he had to look to new shores.
He returned to the game with loan spells at Dundee, Wigan, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham before returning to Scotland for a loan period with Hearts from January to the end of the season in 2005. Hearts were unwilling to offer him a permanent contract, and on 6th July 2005 he joined Dunfermline where he was an important and valuable part of the team. This was followed again by further moves.
He became very well-travelled, but he never got close to those early hopes of a glorious playing career to come. We wished him the best.
He moved onto management in a short-lived and unsuccessful spell at Livingston.
Quotes
‘Good lad, but I can’t find a role for him.’
Harry Redknapp on Mark Burchill (Portsmouth)
Playing Career
| Appearances (subs) |
League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | European | Total |
| 1997-2001 | 17 (33) | 1 (2) | 3 (2) | 4 (1) | 25 (38) |
| Goals | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Club | From | To | Fee | League | Scottish/FA Cup | League cup | Other | ||||
| Rotherham | 12/06/2008 | Free | 8 (10) | 4 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | |
| Dunfermline | 06/07/2005 | 12/06/2008 | Free | 64 (20) | 23 | 3 (2) | 0 | 4 (0) | 3 | 4 (2) | 4 |
| Hearts | 28/01/2005 | 06/07/2005 | Free | 5 (7) | 3 | 2 (2) | 0 | 0 (1) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Rotherham | 24/09/2004 | 24/10/2004 | Loan | 3 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Sheff Wed | 24/12/2003 | 24/01/2004 | Loan | 4 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Wigan | 21/08/2003 | 21/09/2003 | Loan | 1 (3) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Dundee | 31/01/2003 | 01/06/2003 | Loan | 7 (4) | 2 | 1 (3) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Portsmouth | 24/08/2001 | 28/01/2005 | £ 900,000 | 9 (15) | 8 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Ipswich | 20/02/2001 | 20/05/2001 | Loan | 2 (5) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Birmingham | 22/09/2000 | 22/12/2000 | Loan | 4 (9) | 4 | 0 (0) | 0 | 3 (1) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Celtic | 03/06/1997 | 24/08/2001 | Youth | 17 (33) | 20 | 1 (2) | 1 | 3 (2) | 0 | 4 (1) | 3 |
| Totals | £900,000 | 124 (107) | 66 | 7 (10) | 2 | 11 (6) | 5 | 8 (5) | 7 | ||
| goals / game | 0.28 | 0.11 | 0.29 | 0.53 | |||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
Honours with Celtic
Pictures
O’Neill advises Burchill to stay
BBC 23 Aug 2000
If Martin O’Neill was Mark Burchill’s father, he would advise the young striker to stick around at Celtic Park.
Frustrated at failing to win a regular first-team place under successive managers, the 20-year-old has demanded a transfer.
However, Burchill has been guaranteed a start in Thursday’s Uefa Cup preliminary round tie at home to Luxembourg minnows Jeunesse Esch.
Celtic manager O’Neill said: “If I had a son like Mark Burchill, I would be telling him to hang around.
“Not to spend the next four or five years in Celtic’s reserves, but to stay around to see if there is a chance.
“We haven’t got that many centre forwards and it is a long, hard season.”
Burchill, for whom Celtic would want more than £2m, has attracted interest from English first division new boys Preston North End, managed by former Celtic defender Davie Moyes, plus another club from south of the border.
“I would be delighted if he decided to hang around for three or four months, but hanging around does not seem to be in people’s vocabulary these days.”
Injured defender Alan Stubbs will not make Thursday’s European game but could be fit in time to face Rangers on Sunday.
Changes O’Neill is taking the opportunity provided by a 4-0 lead from the first leg to make a number of changes for the Uefa Cup tie.
He would have chosen Tommy Johnson up front alongside Burchill, but the former Aston Villa man is still struggling with a thigh injury.
That could give 18-year-old Simon Lynch, who has impressed O’Neill by his progress, an opportunity for at least a place on the bench.
The manager said that there were a number of young players pushing for a place in the squad.