Latest news with #ColeBurke
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Son of Rangers hero takes next step in footballing career with first spell at SPFL club as part of co-op agreement
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KILMARNOCK youngster Cole Burke has joined Queen of the South as part of a co-operation agreement between the two clubs. The new system brought in by the Scottish FA this season allows Scottish players aged between 16 and 21 to move between their parent and loan club throughout the campaign. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 2 Cole with father Chris Burke after Youth Cup win at Killie Credit: SNS 2 Cole Burke in action for Killie reserves Credit: Rex It's to increase the amount of playing time for young players during a vital stage of their development. Cole, the son of Rangers hero Chris, has featured for Scotland at under 16 and 17 level, and made two appearances off the bench for Kilmarnock last season. He also helped Killie to the Scottish Youth Cup trophy in a 2-0 win over Dundee, with his dad Chris the academy coach. As part of the agreement, Burke will be able to move freely between the clubs and can be recalled by Killie at any time provided the club give Queens the prescribed amount of notice. Queens boss Peter Murphy said: 'The new scheme introduced by the Scottish Football Association gives younger players a great chance to develop whilst being part of a first team squad. "Cole who turns 17 next week is a player with a lot of potential, he is a key part of Kilmarnock's youth team and helped them get to the Youth Cup final last season. "Despite his age he has already been involved at first team level with the Rugby Park club. "We are delighted to have entered a partnership with Kilmarnock and look forward to seeing how that and Cole develops throughout the season.' Chris Burke came through the ranks at Rangers and famously featured in a programme charting young academy players progress at the club called Blue Heaven. He would go on to play more than 100 times for the Ibrox outfit between 2001 and 2009 and would also have spells with Cardiff, Birmingham, Nottingham Forest, Ross County and Kilmarnock. Rangers transfer special assesses whether Conor Coady deal is OFF, if Hamza Igamane will leave and when the Gers can expect more incomings The 41-year-old, an academy coach at Killie, believes the new system is a good idea. He told the BBC back in May: "The academy coaches, we all try our best to try and give them the best opportunity possible and I think with the co-operation loan next year, that will help massively. "I've seen it so many times in my short academy coaching career that I can tell when a player's already past that 18s level. "You don't want them to become frustrated and then to plateau out. "So, you want to challenge them constantly and to do that you need to push them out and let them play the men's game as much as possible. "Then, if they come back, then I believe they will become a better player for that. "I'm really looking forward to next season when that kicks in." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Kilmarnock youngster heads out on loan after club signs Queen of the South cooperation agreement
The 16-year-old has joined the Doonhamers in a bid for more regular game time Kilmarnock youngster Cole Burke is heading to League One side Queen of the South on loan after the two clubs agreed a cooperation agreement. The 16-year-old made two first team appearances at the tail end of last season, having starred for Scotland at youth level and helped guide Killie to the Scottish Youth Cup. The Doonhamers become the second club with which Killie have entered into a cooperation agreement, having previously sent three players to League Two side Annan Athletic. The cooperation system has recently been launched as part of a new SFA and SPFL initiative aimed at boosting opportunities for young Scottish players. It provides greater flexibility to the previous domestic loan agreements, by allowing teams a maximum of three players who are eligible to represent the Scotland national teams, to join a lower-league club but also be able to move between the parent and cooperation club throughout the season to increase playing time.
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson happy to play mentor to upcoming young ace
The 20-year-old was full of praise for Cole Burke - and says he's happy to offer any support and advice as he looks to break into the first team Killie ace David Watson might only be 20 years old but he's a wise old head in the dressing room. And as he closes in on 100 games for the club, the Prestwick Pirlo is more than happy to pass on advice to the next generation of Kilmarnock stars. Cole Burke, just 16, made his home debut for the club after coming off the bench against Hearts and showed plenty of promise and no fear as the winger looked a threat on the ball. Watson knows the importance of having folk to lean on when you're breaking into the first team, and that's why he says he'll be there for Cole. He said: 'He's four years younger than me. I'm just trying to give him a bit of advice from me. I've nearly played 100 games now. I think I can give him that advice on how to maybe break into the first team and get some games under his belt. 'When I came in I had Rory McKenzie, Innes Cameron, these players that take you under their wing, but also make it difficult for you at the same time and challenge you. 'It makes you a stronger person and a stronger player. I think that's the stage Burke is at and he's on the brink. 'He's nearly there. He's working really hard and he's doing really well. Hopefully in the next six months or so we'll see him more often than we do now.' He added: 'He's brilliant. He's just one of these maverick players who will take the ball and you never really know what he's going to do. Sometimes that can be a good thing, sometimes it can be a bad thing. But if you let him do what he does, he's a brilliant player to watch. 'He works hard and he's got a great family around him. Obviously Chris Burke, his mum, his brother, they're all great people. He's got a good career ahead of him, hopefully.' The campaign started on a bright note for Watson, bagging a Europa League goal at home to Cercle Brugge. But it's been a largely up and down season, both personally and for the club. Reflecting on the campaign, he said: 'I wouldn't say it's a disappointing season, I'd say it's more of a difficult one for me in terms of not being in the team as much and having to learn from that and just gaining experience from these types of situations. 'It's part of football isn't it, you're not going to play every game and you need to expect that so it's just something to take on the chin and learn from it and keep that going into the rest of my career.'
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Burke coy on first-team coaching hopes but proud after son makes Killie debut
Kilmarnock caretaker manager Chris Burke says he does not know what his future holds beyond this weekend after the club announced that manager Derek McInnes would not be in charge against Hearts on is due to take over at Tynecastle and after a defeat by Motherwell on Wednesday where he received some vocal criticism from supporters, Burke will now lead the side in their final league game."That's probably one that I can't answer," he explained, when asked if he might be a candidate for the job full-time. "I'm new in my journey, I know things happen and things change really quickly and opportunity comes, but also the fact that I'll probably know a lot about myself after the next couple of days."Whether that's at the club where you are part of the first-team staff, whether I go back to my own role [as under-18 head coach], whatever it is, I'm just here to help the football club at this moment in time, "My objective is to make sure that this football club is in the right way for the next game, so it's really difficult to answer that question and I'm giving you an honest assessment answering that."Burke recently led the under-18 squad to Scottish Youth Cup success with his son Cole part of that squad. He revealed his pride after seeing him make his first-team debut late on in the midweek defeat to Motherwell."It was a very proud moment," he beamed. "Myself, my wife, my parents were there, my auntie was there. "As a parent you're thinking 'yes', all the emotions of that are brilliant. "[It] just puts me under a wee bit more under pressure now to maybe include him in the squad. "If you're asking me as a father, obviously it's a proud moment."
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Burke on McInnes' success, his role going forward & helping the club against Hearts
Kilmarnock caretaker manager Chris Burke has been speaking with the media after it was revealed that Derek McInnes would not be in charge for their final Premiership match at home to are the key points from his news conference:Burke insists the club should be thankful for what departing boss Derek McInnes achieved at the club and once emotion is taken out of it, everyone can reflect on the success over that pointed to McInnes' first game being against Queen of the South through to taking on FC Copenhagen in Europe, saying it highlights "the achievements that he's done at the football club".The former Killie and Rangers midfielder insists he is simply there to "help the players" before a match against a good team in the Tynecastle enjoyed success leading the youth team, Burke said he couldn't answer whether he saw himself as part of the first-team coaching set-up going forward. "I'm new in my journey, I know things happen and things change really quickly and opportunity comes," he expects to "know a lot" about himself by the end of the week."Whether that's at the club where you are part of the first team staff, whether I go back to my own role, whatever it is, I'm just here to help the football club," Burke said, when asked about his also revealed his pride at seeing his son Cole make his debut for the club as a late substitute in the defeat to Motherwell, adding that "puts me under a wee bit more under pressure now to maybe include him in the squad".
