Graham has been labelled a ‘maverick’ who makes Shamrock Rovers a much better team when he is injury-free and on the pitch. And the Hoops ace himself feels he’s in the best shape in years as he looks to keep Rovers on track to reclaim the title.
Burke has been crowned the SSE Airtricity / Soccer Writers Ireland ‘Player of the Month for May’ after scoring four goals and providing two assists in that timeframe.
The 31-year-old has been frustrated with the stop-start nature of recent seasons as injuries and niggles took their toll on his body. And that was evident last season with Burke forced to play a bit-part role in the Hoops’ historic European run, with his only start in the league phase coming against Larne.
Even in the qualifying stages, he missed the Vikingur games completely with injury and came off the bench in the second-leg against Sparta Prague. And it was substitute roles again against Celje and PAOK, before featuring in just three of the six league phase games, starting one, with another start at home to Molde in the playoff.
Sign up for our League of Ireland news service on Whats App
Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Burke said yesterday: “The last two years I've got a run of games and then got an injury, rehab, try to come back and then get up to speed again. Maybe you get back in the team and for me it just felt that every four or five games I was back with the physio.
“Even around Europe last year, it was a disappointing time to get an injury. They’re huge games and you want to be playing in huge games. A big game against Chelsea, I only got back training the week before it and I was thinking maybe I won't come on but hopefully I will, and lucky enough I did.”
At this stage of his career, Burke understands that Rovers boss Stephen Bradley has to manage the minutes of one of the league’s best attacking talents.
After tonight’s clash with Shelbourne, Rovers are away to Drogheda United on Monday and Burke hasn’t played both games in a double game week this season. He knows it’s for the best, but it doesn’t mean he likes it, and nor does it sit well with Burke when Bradley takes him off in matches late on.
The Ireland international said: “Day to day, I'm quite chilled and quite relaxed. I know myself there's certain times I can switch and have a mad 10 seconds of madness. We all have flaws at times and that's probably a little flaw I have. When I leave the football pitch, I'm quite calm. But I wouldn't want it to leave me. It's a part of me.”
Shamrock Rovers boss Bradley has labelled Burke a maverick and makes no apologies for picking and choosing his games - even if it occasionally frustrates the attacker.
Ahead of tonight’s trip to Tolka Park, Bradley said: “We’re a better team when Graham is on the pitch and it's my job to get him to that point where he's available. At times last year we had to push certain players at certain times as we were so low on bodies, some players suffered due to that in terms of injuries.
“But when we have a healthy squad, which we have, it's about trying to mind the likes of Graham to get him to the pitch in good physical condition. There's been a lot of reasons over the last few years why he has been stop-start but this year he has been excellent and that's down to him.”
Bradley continued: ”He's in incredible condition but there's more detail to it, his stress load goes through his calves and hamstrings.
When you build that up over a period of time it becomes a problem, with how he plays and his running style, everything is explosive.
“Graham will cover the same explosive distances as Neil Farrugia which people wouldn't think. There's a lot that goes into that and it took us a while to get to the bottom of that and understand it. He wants to play every minute of every game and it's our job to try and hold him and get him right for games and once he's right, this year he's different class.”
And while Burke doesn’t hide his annoyance at being subbed off late in games, Bradley would never try to tame that spikiness in one of his star men.
Bradley added: “That’s part of Graham, part of his beauty and what he is. You have to understand and accept that Graham is on the edge all of the time. If we’re winning 5-0, he’s done everything and you take him off he’s not happy. You’re not going to change that now. It’s part of what makes him.
"He’ll say things (to me, coming off the pitch) for sure! But you have to allow him to have that. If you try to take that away, you kill a bit of what he is. He’s a bit of a maverick and you’ve got to allow him to be that."
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
