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Gillingham loanee Graham Burke faces one of his former teams this weekend but Shrewsbury fans might be forgiven for asking ‘Graham who?’
Burke had a brief and unremarkable spell with the Shrews at the start of the 2013/14 season, making his first Football League appearance with the club.
He had joined them on loan from Aston Villa.
The loan didn’t last long, as his game-time was more limited than he or Villa wanted, but it was another important stage in the Irishman’s football journey.
“I was there for about a month,” recalled the 25-year-old.
“I played a couple of games but not as many as I would have liked, so I ended up going back to Villa. I was obviously hoping to get a bit more game-time.
“It was the first loan I had out so I was probably only 18 or 19 at that time.
“I don’t know the current team and haven’t kept an eye on them but maybe on Saturday I will recognise a few familiar faces.”
His Shrewsbury debut came in a 3-0 loss at Leyton Orient, playing the full 90 minutes in the League 1 fixture, but he had to wait almost a month before another appearance, playing and scoring in a 4-1 home defeat to Oldham in the Football League Trophy.
Two more substitute appearances in the league followed before he returned to Villa Park.
“Going there gave me an eye-opener as to what men’s football is actually like,” he said.
“Up until that time I had been playing under-18 and reserve football, so to go and play and train with men did help me to know what to expect when it came around again.
“It was completely different to what I was used to, you are playing kids’ football and then you are up against men, it is more physical, it is much harder.”
Burke ended up moving to Notts County, where he would suffer a last-day relegation blow at Priestfield and he followed that with a successful move to Irish side Shamrock Rovers, scoring goals for fun and earning international honours.
He moved to Preston in the summer but came off the bench as many times as he started. His wish to get some regular football under his belt has worked out with the Gills.
He’s been a regular for Steve Lovell’s side, playing the no.10 role behind the front two.
All that’s missing now is the goals.
“I have enjoyed my time,” he said.
“We are fighting for as many points as we can and since I have been here we have picked up a lot. We are five points off it now but I think we still need another six to get ourselves fully away from it.
“I thought we played well at Peterborough up until giving the penalty away but we couldn’t get that goal back. We deserved something.
“I would like to score more goals. I have only scored one in 11 and on my part that is disappointing for me but, as long as the team is doing well, then that’s the main thing.
“I have been playing every week since coming here and as a footballer that’s all you want to be doing. I can’t ask for any more.”
Burke’s only goal for the Gills was a long range effort against AFC Wimbledon which went in after a fumble from the keeper.
“It doesn’t matter to me how it went in,” he said.
“If you don’t shoot you don’t score. I was chuffed and it gives you that bit of confidence.”
While Gills’ form has picked up since Burke arrived with a handful of other loanees, he insists the mood in the camp has always been upbeat.
He said: “We were only a point off (the bottom four). Sometimes you can go into a changing room in that situation and you can tell there isn’t much of an atmosphere off it, the boys’ confidence might not be as good.
“But the lads here are a funny bunch, the banter is flying all the time. It’s a good bunch and we are working hard towards getting safe. There are five left and before we know it the last game of the season will be on us.”
Once the season ends, Burke will be heading back to Preston, hoping he can earn a regular place in a team who have been pushing for a play-off place this term in the Championship.
“What I do here is key to that,” he said.
“Preston are going to be looking in and monitoring. When my time is finished here I will go back to Preston, see what the plan is for me and try and work hard and push on and hopefully get in the team, if not then I will have to assess it. We will take it as it comes pre-season.”
