Express & Star

Oliver Burke eager to build on first start for West Brom

Oliver Burke is targeting more games under new boss Alan Pardew – who reckons the pacy £15m winger will be an asset in the future.

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Oliver Burke started his first senior game since May on Sunday. (AMA)

After a series of niggling injuries plagued the opening few months of the season, 20-year-old Burke started his first game for the Baggies on Sunday.

He looked threatening on the ball when he was running at the Manchester United back-line, but struggled with his defensive duties.

Pardew admitted the raw Scotland international needed work, but Burke is eager to learn under his new boss.

“I just need that break,” said the former RB Leipzig man. “I need games.

“It’s been a long time for me since I’ve started a match, so it was a big one for me but I really enjoyed myself.

“I can only push on into the next games now and hopefully I can continue and get better and better, which I am under Alan.

"It’s my first start at West Brom so I was delighted with that, but it was a tough game.”

The Baggies lost 2-1 to United, extending their club-record winless run to 17 games in all competitions, but Burke reckons a victory is just around the corner.

“In training we’ve been magnificent,” he said. “The training sessions have been fantastic.

“We’ve been very sharp and we’re all ready to go - we’re just waiting for that moment, waiting for that one game where we can grab that win and really go for it.

“I feel as though we’re coming along. It’s just a matter of time now. Hopefully in the next game we can pull it off. We’ve got some fantastic players; players with bags of experience.

“We’ve just got to come together as a team. We’ll put it right, I’m sure we will.”

Burke replaced Hal Robson-Kanu in the only change to the team that battled to a goalless draw with Liverpool four days previously.

After the game, Pardew admitted he should have freshened it up more, and the Baggies looked far more likely to score after the introduction of goalscorer Gareth Barry, Jay Rodriguez, and dead-ball specialist Chris Brunt.

“To get fresh legs on is important,” said Burke. “Some of the players have played a lot of games and I think it’s a good thing to bring some fresh players in and mix it up a little bit.

"It helped us and we got a goal but it’s a game we need to learn from and reflect and go again.”

Pardew moved Burke off the wing at half-time to help Salomon Rondon up front, but he felt Jay Rodriguez performed better in that secondary striker role after coming on.

“I felt sorry for Oli because he was in a team that lacked energy,” said Pardew. “He didn’t see a lot of the ball but he had his moments.

“There were a couple of times when he lost the ball in dangerous areas that he will have to learn from and we will sit him down and talk him through it.

“But he’s going to be an asset in some games, especially when we’re in the lead because he can take you up the pitch and get you that second or third goal that might be crucial.

“Hopefully he will learn from Sunday and we’ll go forwards with him.

“Jay (Rodriguez) showed a bit more experience about how to play that (second striker) role than Oli did in terms of how he started the second half.”