Luton’s defense attorney Reece Burke is determined to become a top player again, if possible during his time with the hatters.
The 24-year-old has played five Premier League games for his hometown club West Ham United after making his debut in a 0-0 draw at QPR in April 2015 at the age of just 19.
He started three more times and also came off the bank once before receiving a series of loan periods on a £ 1.5m transfer to Hull City in July 2018 before leaving.
After collecting over 100 games for the Tigers, Burke decided last week to join Luton on a free transfer and made it clear that he wants to be back in the elite by saying, “I’ve only played five games but me had a foretaste. ” how the Premier League was.
“It’s where I want to be and that prepared me to get my loan moves and get more first-team games on the way.
“I’ve been a better footballer from then to now, but there is a way back to the top.
“Come here, that’s what I want. I want to be pushed, I want to be worked hard and I’m sure Nathan (Jones) and the coaching staff will.
“For my part, it works hard on and off the training ground and drives me forward.
“I’m hungry and will give myself every opportunity to get to the top.”
The ups and downs of Burke’s career on the field will certainly benefit him too.
He has seen relegation twice before, prior to a title winning season with the Tigers last season, knowing there would always be bumps on the way to his goal.
Town’s second signing of the summer continued, “It is very rare that there is a straight path to get to the top.
“You will have ups and downs and this is how my career went.
“I played five games in the Premier League, then I went on loan to League One (Bradford City), came back, went on loan to the championship (Wigan) and had a bad season and got injured.
“Wigan got relegated, then I went to Bolton, managed to stay up, then moved to Hull City, had a very good season with them, but then we relegated and recovered.
“The path will never be straight, but that makes you a better player.”
Burke is one of a growing number of players in the hatters and clubs lower down the football ranks who have had to leave the major league to return.
Teammates Dan Potts and Elliot Lee have both played Premier League games behind them, while Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu was also at Upton Park despite not playing in the league, with striker Elijah Adebayo at Fulham until he made it to the 2nd Chasing the first team football.
Regarding the mental strength that moving away to realize his dream, Burke said: “If you are not mentally strong these days, I think you won’t get that far.
“You have to stand behind you and I always say don’t worry about what people think, just focus on yourself because once you start worrying about what’s happening elsewhere, you get distracted.
“I always aim to keep going and get to the top.
“I know what to do to get there and I think I’m at the club now that will hopefully get me there for the next few years.
“If not, then I may have to accept that I’ll be a good midfielder in the championship, but there will be a period where I won’t stop trying.”
Commenting on the reasons he chose Luton as a club to give him the best chance of getting back to the top division, Burke said, “If you look at Pottsy, for example, because I know he’s been with Luton for a while is from where? he started where he is now, it’s a big step.
“You can see how the club is progressing and growing.
“Of course what happens on and around the training ground is something right for the club to be able to continue like this.
“People should see that from the outside, people don’t think about what happened before, but what is happening now.
“For me, I’ve seen the club get from the lower leagues to where they are now and I believe that because of what is going on in and around the football club, they will keep moving forward, that excites me.
“That’s why I decided to leave West Ham because I had a couple of loan changes and then kept coming back.
“I just knew that my time in the Premier League wasn’t coming, I could just feel that.
“That’s why I decided to go to Hull City. I still had two years of contract there, but I decided to leave because I wanted to be the captain at Hull City, because I just care about games.
“I just want to play soccer, I don’t want to be in a club and I don’t want to play soccer.
“Don’t get me wrong, it will frustrate me, but at the end of the day you have to be driven and earn your game.
“In terms of what you see outside of football club, I see only good things in Luton and that’s what I want to be a part of. I want to be part of the next step.”
" width="218" height="150" />
