"Out of limelight" Oli McBurnie opens up on Sheffield United exit ahead of Real Madrid clash
Oli McBurnie opens up on Sheffield United exit ahead of Real Madrid test
Oli McBurnie, the former Sheffield United striker, has opened up on his Bramall Lane exit earlier in the summer as he prepares to face the reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid this evening. The Scottish international turned down an offer to stay in South Yorkshire and instead made the move to Spain to sign for Las Palmas.
McBurnie claimed a goal in the opening-day draw with Sevilla, despite claims the ball went in off a defender, and is getting to grips with his new life on the island. His biggest test yet will come against Carlo Ancelotti’s reigning Spanish and European champions at Estadio Gran Canaria and although McBurnie has experience of playing against some of the world’s best from his time at Bramall Lane, he admits this will be another level.
"I have played against Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal for years but Real Madrid and Barcelona are different," McBurnie said in an interview with the BBC. “I don’t know if it is because we are British and we don’t see as much of them. I am really excited and a lot of my friends are coming over to see the game.
“No-one was asking for tickets when we played Leganes at the weekend but everyone wanted them for this. Make of that what you will! I don’t just want to score because it is Real Madrid. I want to score in every game I play in. If we get three points and I don’t score, that is perfectly fine by me."
McBurnie was United’s record signing when he arrived in a £17m deal from Swansea, which later increased to £20m with add-ons, and he helped them finish ninth in their first Premier League season back before firing 15 goals as they were promoted from the Championship in 2022/23. His contract officially expired at the end of June, although he returned to Shirecliffe for pre-season training before eventually parting ways with the Blades.
"When you have been at a club for five years, you get comfortable and relaxed," he added. "Everything is the same and sometimes that is not the best thing for you. You need new challenges, to test yourself and put yourself outside of your comfort zone.
“Not just as a footballer but as a person as well. I always kept the manager [Chris Wilder] in the loop. They offered me a contract but I was open and honest with him the whole time. When Las Palmas came in, I thought it would be a great experience. In the end, it came down to knowing if I didn’t do it, I would always be wondering: 'what if'."
McBurnie was a popular figure at Bramall Lane but his spell there was not without controversy. Four years ago he was banned for drink-driving and in 2021, he was involved in an altercation in the street which was filmed on a mobile phone. After United’s play-off penalty shootout defeat at Nottingham Forest he was charged with assaulting a home fan who had invaded the pitch, but was cleared in court in December 2022.
“Maybe it is nice to be a little bit out of the limelight,” he added. "It didn’t really come across my mind in terms of decision making. I act the way I am. I have never really been able to hide or change that. Sometimes it has been a little bit detrimental to me. But I just thought of this as a new challenge."