If Shamrock Rovers are to wrestle the title from Dundalk this season, a few more displays like this from Graham Burke would certainly go a long way to doing so. The on-loan Preston forward bagged a remarkable five goals last night as his side hammered Cork City 6-0 at Tallaght Stadium.
While this looks set to be a difficult season for the Munster side, the home team will be thrilled with some of the attacking football on display. This is especially true of Burke who managed to score a couple of cracking goals.
You can watch all five below, with his third and fifth strikes being especially impressive.
Five-star performance from Graham Burke as @ShamrockRovers hit @CorkCityFC for six. Watch the goals from Tallaght Stadium @SoccRepublic #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/gKWtOoyNOc
— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) February 21, 2020
Burke became the first player to score five goals in a single game in over 50 years.
Graham Burke becomes the first Shamrock Rovers player to score 5 goals in one game since Mick Leech in a 10-2 Dublin City Cup game against Finn Harps in 1969 - it was Harps' first ever game in League of Ireland football
— Karl Reilly (@HistoryLOI) February 21, 2020
Now 26-years old, Burke failed to make much of an impact after his move to Preston in 2018. He looked like a player with genuine international prospects around the time of the transfer, scoring in the friendly against the USA in June of that year.
While many assumed his Ireland aspirations had ended with a return to League of Ireland football, the player himself doesn't see it that way. Speaking to RTÉ after last night's five star display, Burke said he can fulfil his international ambitions whilst playing for Rovers:
Obviously there's ambitions. If people see me come back to this country they might see it as a step back but for me I want to be at Shamrock Rovers.
On a personal level I find it comfortable here, my life here is great, I come into work in an environment where everybody knows how I work and a manager that believes in me.
I knew quite quickly what I wanted when I went back to England and I discovered my best form when I was here before. All I wanted to do is be happy and enjoy the game and I feel this is best situation for me.
