Graham Burke commits long-term future to Shamrock Rovers

Graham Burke of Shamrock Rovers in action against Franck Kessié of AC Milan

Graham Burke of Shamrock Rovers in action against Franck Kessié of AC Milan Credit: Michael P Ryan (ETPhotos)

With his contract with Preston North End finishing in May, Graham Burke, who is currently on loan at Shamrock Rovers from North End, has signed a pre-contract agreement that will keep him in Tallaght for the next three seasons.

Burke’s first spell at the Hoops saw him score 18 league goals from 41 appearances during an 18 month stint in Tallaght during which time he earned two senior international caps with the Republic of Ireland – debuting in the Stade de France against the soon-to-be-World Champions in May 2018 before scoring for the Boys in Green a week later against the USA in the Aviva.

In that match he became the first League of Ireland player to score for Ireland since Shamrock Rovers’ Ray Treacy in 1978.

That form earned him a moved to Championship side Preston where he made 15 league appearances, before playing a dozen league games during a loan spell at Gillingham in League One. 

He returned to Rovers on one year loan in July 2019, helping the Hoops win the FAI Cup that season and that loan was extended further last year when Rovers won the league title and he finished the Hoops top goalscorer with ten goals across all competitions.

He scored five goals in one game last season in Rovers’ 6-0 league win over Cork City and the 27-year-old player is the joint top scorer for Rovers in European action.