Oli McBurnie has issued an emotional farewell message to Swansea City following his move to Sheffield United.
The Scot has been heavily linked with a move to the Blades for some time, and his switch to Bramall Lane was
Chris Wilder's side smashed their transfer record to take McBurnie to South Yorkshire, with Sheffield United paying £18m, which could rise to £20m depending on add-ons for the 23-year-old striker.
And McBurnie - who netted 24 goals in all competitions last season - admits he leaves Swansea with a heavy heart.
“I leave with a heavy heart because Swansea as a city and as a football club has been so good to me. It’s my second home,” he said.
“From the first day I arrived in Swansea I have felt nothing but warmth and support from everyone associated with the club and the fans.
“They believed in me, and that meant so much. Knowing that they had my back made me even more determined to succeed.
“Last season was the highlight of my career. Not just for the amount of goals I managed to score, but for the camaraderie of the squad and the connection we had with the supporters.
“Hopefully I’ve managed to repay their faith with my performances and goals. But the connection with them was special too.
“I can remember early last season I could hear them signing ‘Oli McBurnie, he’s one of our own’. That made me laugh as I’m a Scottish lad from Yorkshire being hailed as a Swansea boy.
“But it showed what they thought of me, and I’ll never forget the goosebumps I used to get when they sang my name. I like to think they recognised that I gave everything I had for them and the team.”
McBurnie follows Daniel James in leaving the Liberty Stadium this summer while the likes of Leroy Fer, Luciano Narsingh, Martin Olsson and Wilfried Bony have all been released.
Steve Cooper has added Jake Bidwell, Ben Wilmot, Freddie Woodman and Kristoffer Peterson to his ranks and is hopeful of finding a replacement for McBurnie, as well as potentially bringing in further recruits ahead of the August 8 deadline.
