Latest news with #ColeBurke
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".
