Graham Burke could be deployed as a striker on his return to Shamrock Rovers, boss Stephen Bradley has said.
As Mirror Sport exclusively revealed, the Ireland international has rejoined the club on a year-long loan from Preston North End who signed him for €300,000 last summer.
Burke has joined up with his team-mates in Cyprus but is ineligible for this evening’s Europa League second leg clash with Apollon Limassol.
Bradley said: “I’m delighted to get him in. It’s been ongoing for a while. I always spoke to him since he left.
“When the opportunity of his availability came up, I mentioned it to him and he was delighted.
“He couldn’t wait to get it done. He was pushing hard at his end to get it done and I’m just delighted to get him.”
Seen as an attacking midfielder, Burke just adds to Rovers' options in that area, but is likely to be used as a striker.
Bradley said: “Graham can play both. During his career, he’s played up front and he’s played in midfield on the left and the right.
“He can play anywhere in the attacking part of the pitch.”
Bradley said he was surprised Burke didn’t make a bigger impact at Preston who had loaned him out to Gillingham in the second half of last season.
“Of course,” he said. “Someone of Graham’s ability and talent. He’s a top player and I think everyone has seen that throughout his career.
“I think when you go to England you need a lot of things to fall into place. There are so many things that need to happen for a player to show their ability.
“That just wasn’t the case for Graham.”
Burke, who has two years to run on his Preston contract, has signed a deal with Rovers until next July.
Having joined Aston Villa in 2011, Burke returned home to sign for Rovers in February 2017 after loan spells with Shrewsbury Town and Notts County.
And he re-ignited his career in a Hoops shirt with some spectacular goals. During that time he was capped twice against France and the USA.
In the latter game at the Aviva Stadium, a 2-1 win, he became the first League of Ireland player to score in a senior international for Ireland in 40 years.
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