How Oliver Burke is getting on in Germany - Birmingham City & Sheffield United fans may be shocked | OneFootball

Oliver Burke is back in the Bundesliga with Union Berlin, and Championship fans may be surprised at the progress he's made in Germany.

In the summer, Scotland international forward Oliver Burke completed a surprise move to German side Union Berlin - and there's a chance some of his more recent EFL clubs will be shocked at his impact.

Along with the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1, the Bundesliga is one of Europe's "Big Five" leagues, and not that many British players have been successful there.

Only two British players have ever scored a hat-trick in the Bundesliga. One of them is Harry Kane, who continues to tear up trees for Bayern Munich, but the identity of the other may come as a surprise to fans of several Championship clubs.

In September, Tartan Army attacker Burke netted three times in a 4-3 win for Union Berlin away to Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite only adding to his tally once since, against one of his former clubs, RB Leipzig, he's continued to have an impact for a team that currently resides in the middle of the Bundesliga pack.

And this will come as a surprise to supporters of Birmingham City, Millwall and Sheffield United in particular, who he's represented in recent years to little effect.

Oliver Burke is loving life in the Bundesliga with Union Berlin

Oliver Burke's hat-trick for Union Berlin in September generated quite a few headlines. Union became the third Bundesliga side for whom he'd signed at the end of May, when he joined the club on a free transfer, having previously also played for RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen.

Speaking to Adam Bate of Sky Sports, it was clear that Burke is extremely happy living in Germany.

"I am enjoying my life here in Berlin," Burke told them.

"I never thought as a child that I would be out in Germany. But I am here, I love the league, the teams, the stadiums, and the atmosphere is another level. I definitely feel that I am playing some of my best football."

But Burke himself doesn't seem to hold much hope of earning a place in Scotland's World Cup squad for the summer, revealing: "I have not really been a part of it recently, so I am not really expecting anything.

"It is an absolute honour to wear the badge and represent your country. I would really love to have that experience again, personally, but I cannot think too much about that."

Oliver Burke's progress will come as a surprise to some of his ex-clubs

Oliver Burke started his senior career in the Championship with Nottingham Forest, but it didn't take long until RB Leipzig stepped in and paid a reported £13 million at the end of the summer 2016 transfer window - then a world-record transfer fee for a Scottish player - to take him to Germany.

But after scoring once in 25 appearances for them, he was signed by West Bromwich Albion the following year for a reported fee of £15 million.

But Burke was unable to tie down a regular place in the first-team at The Hawthorns, and had spells on loan in Scotland with Celtic and in Spain with Alaves before signing for Sheffield United in 2020, with Callum Robinson going in the opposite direction in a swap deal.

He made 25 Premier League appearances for the Blades, but only scored once and was sent on loan to Millwall for the second half of the 2021-22 season, again to little effect.

At the end of that season he returned to Germany, this time moving to Werder Bremen, reportedly on a free transfer. But it was only half a season before he was back in England again, with another half-season loan to Millwall, where he scored twice in 17 appearances.

After briefly returning to Bremen, he was sent out on loan to another Championship club, this time Birmingham City. This time, he managed 25 appearances, but injury disrupted the second half of his season and he left the club with the Blues having been relegated to League One, having failed to score for them.

But back in Germany, he seemed more settled again. He scored five times in 25 games for Werder Bremen throughout 2024-25 in what turned out to be his final season with the club, making the move to Union Berlin at the end of last season.

Burke said at the time: "Union are a special club – honest, combative and loud. That's exactly what suits me. I want to give it my all here, soak up the energy of the fans and make a difference with the team.

"The decision to join Union came from my gut feeling, and I had very good talks with the people in charge, which is why I am convinced that this is the right step for me."

This summer's World Cup may be beyond Oliver Burke, but the player seems more settled in Germany than he ever was in England - the supporters of the Championship clubs where he couldn't get it right might well be forgiven wondering how things ended up going so right for him.