Birmingham City and Sheffield United supporters may be shocked to see where Oliver Burke has now signed | OneFootball

Supporters of Blues and the Blades will be surprised to see Oliver Burke secure another German top-flight move after his previous struggles in the EFL

Many clubs will have witnessed first-hand the struggles Oliver Burke had when in the EFL.

The 28-year-old has featured for the likes of Millwall, Sheffield United as well as West Midlands duo West Brom and Birmingham City, failing to become a household name in England before plying his trade back in Germany over the last few seasons.

The wideman was originally a livewire for Nottingham Forest when bursting onto the scene, and while he didn’t make a significant number of appearances, an impressive figure of four goals and one assist from five second tier games in the 2016-17 season was enough to prove to RB Leipzig that he was worth some investment.

But a poor opening and final Bundesliga season at the Red Bull Arena led to a £15 million switch back to England in the Premier League with West Brom in 2017, with his decline in the UK beginning from there.

Unable to set the world alight, it will be surprising to some supporters of the EFL clubs to where Burke has moved to next, as his journey back in the Bundesliga continues.

Oliver Burke’s EFL struggles led to Bundesliga return

High expectations surrounded the Scottish international when he linked up at The Hawthorns, but Burke struggled to replicate the potential he had shown while at the City Ground.

In his debut season, Burke failed to establish himself as a first-team regular as Albion were relegated to the Championship for the first time since 2010. Many had hoped he'd shine in the second tier, but he went on to make just five more league appearances before having loan spells away at Celtic and Alaves.

Burke would eventually depart West Brom for Sheffield United in a swap deal involving Callum Robinson moving to the Black Country, and it’s safe to say the Blades didn’t get the upper hand when negotiating that deal.

The wideman would score just once from 25 Premier League games, before securing two loan moves to Millwall, where he scored only four times while at The Den.

A return to Germany would follow, but a lack of game time at Werder Bremen saw a move back to the Midlands with Birmingham City go through, but Burke would fail to add a single attacking contribution from 21 second tier appearances as Blues suffered relegation to League One last season.

After returning to Werder Bremen, the Kirkcaldy-born attacker played more of a regular role in the side, making 25 appearances and contributing five goals as the German outfit retained their place in the Bundesliga.

It wasn’t enough to earn a new deal, however, but Burke has been offered an instant route back into Bundesliga action with Union Berlin, who are looking to build on surviving six consecutive seasons in the German top division.

Latest Oliver Burke move will be a shock after his lacklustre career

Oliver Burke’s career has seen some scenery changes quite a lot over the last few years, with the attacker unable to remain at a club for more than three seasons.

It’s difficult to see why clubs are lured into pursuing his signature, with his general output of attacking returns at a dismal level wherever he has moved to.

He does possess some positive attributes for a wide player, such as blistering pace and physical prowess, but the contributions have been lacking for too many seasons to warrant earning consistent moves to top-flight sides.

His agent may well be one of the best negotiators in the business, but it’s hard to envisage Burke showcasing a change in fortunes at Union Berlin and having any other eye-catching moves in the future.