An ode to Oli Burke, the Sheffield United striker built like a boxer who glides like a sprinter - and could be a monster of a player

At others, he looks every inch a player who has hit the net a total of 15 times in his professional career.

This is the conundrum that is Oliver Jasen Burke, a winger by trade being shaped into a striker by Sheffield United and a man build like a boxer who can move like a sprinter.

On Saturday, he came off the bench in the FA Cup at Bristol Rovers and completely scuffed a chance with his first touch, somehow diverting the ball wide when it looked easier to hit the target.

But his introduction visibly put the fear of God into Rovers' defenders and his goal, a first in United colours, was a brilliantly-composed finish, racing away onto John Fleck's pass to put the Blades ahead.

In his 37-minute cameo Burke could have walked away with the matchball, hitting the post after rolling the ball across the face of goal, and the hope is now that the first goal will boost his confidence and lead to more.

As Chris Wilder said in his press conference today, it should have come earlier. There have certainly been the chances - Burke lost his footing when well-placed against his former club West Brom, and lost his composure when through one-on-one at Brighton. United were 1-0 up at the time, and a first win of the season was in touching distance. A second would have surely seen them home. But Burke missed, Danny Welbeck didn't and United faced the long trek back up north with just a point for their efforts.

But there have been more than enough signs from Burke to suggest that United got the better of the deal with West Brom, which saw Callum Robinson move the other way. Robinson was a good player and hugely popular at Bramall Lane, but never quite gave off the impression he was a player who could change a game in a blink of an eye.

Burke, whether it be through a burst of speed or an eye-of-a-needle pass or an intelligent dummy or, it must be said, a glaring miss, is quite the opposite. Against Manchester United, he harried Dean Henderson into a mistake to give the original United the lead.

In that remarkable game at West Brom, which saw United have 22 shots at goal and lose 1-0, he put a couple of chances on a plate for his teammates. His pace saw David Luiz lose his mind and drag him back against Arsenal, risking a possible red-card. His intelligent dummy saw Jayden Bogle score the winner at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Anyone watching Burke in a United shirt thus far will recognise the areas of his game that need to be worked on. But it's often easier to focus on what a player may lack rather than what they possess and the attributes he does possess, like that sheer pace, remarkable physique and also a commendable work-rate, cannot be easily taught.

They are attributes found in top level players, the likes of which would ordinarily be far out of United's league. Burke lost his way somewhat since breaking through at Nottingham Forest - his 14 league starts for Alaves, on loan in La Liga last season, is the most for any club as a professional. He has already made seven with United and, at just 23 years old, may just have found a home at Bramall Lane.

Despite big-money moves to RB Leipzig and then West Brom, he remains far from the finished article and in more than one respect, comparisons have been made with Wolves' Adama Traore - a man whose career took him from Barcelona to Middlesbrough before the penny finally seemed to drop. Adding the output to match his incredible strength and pace has made him a Spanish international and one of the most feared players in the Premier League.

His 14 league starts on loan with Alaves in La Liga is the most he has made for any club since starting his professional career and with seven, he's already halfway to matching that with the Blades.

His latest could come tomorrow against Newcastle, whose defenders won't be relishing that particular challenge of pace, power, determination and just general chaos. With the right coaching and a bit of patience from all involved, Burke could become a monster of a player. And even if he doesn't, it'll be a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of Blades coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details HERE. Your support is much appreciated. Chris Holt, Football Editor