OLIVER Burke admitted it would be “amazing” if an opportunity came up to join Millwall permanently in the summer.
Burke, 25, is on loan with the Lions from play-off rivals Sheffield United until the end of the season.
Scotland international Burke, who has been transferred for fees of almost £30million in his career, has started only 16 league games for the Blades in a season-and-a-half following his move from West Brom in a swap deal with Callum Robinson in the summer of 2020.
Burke scored his first goal of the season in the Lions’ 4-1 win over Barnsley at The Den and says he feels “settled” at the club.
Burke is one of five players on loan at Millwall this season and four of them could be considered a success, the exception so far being Luke Freeman purely because he hasn’t featured due to injury.
Two of the others, Benik Afobe and Sheyi Ojo, are set to be available for permanent transfers away from Stoke and Liverpool in the summer and could interest Millwall.
It remains to be seen what Arsenal have planned for Daniel Ballard but Lions boss Gary Rowett told NewsAtDen recently he would be interested in another deal for the defender. That would most likely be another loan, though Millwall still could make the Premier League which would drastically alter the transfer landscape for them.
Burke missed more than a month through injury after joining in January but is set to be an important player in the run-in and knows he is playing for his future.
“It was a tough one with my injury, that was never going to help. But now I’m back making a bit of an impact,” Burke said.
“I haven’t had the game-time I would have liked at Sheffield United. It’s not really gone as planned.
“I think we just have to see what happens. I can’t really say too much at this point.
“I just have to do my very best on this loan at Millwall and if something comes up here, then amazing.
“I’m really enjoying my time here, I feel like I have settled in really well with my team-mates, they’re a great bunch of boys here.
“I feel good here but we’ll have to see what happens, you know what football can be like. We’ll see.”
Millwall are a point off sixth going into the last three games of the season.
Burke is embracing the challenge.
“When you’re confident and games are coming thick and fast you just go with the flow of it and hope you keep that winning mentality,” he said.
“I obviously know it’s difficult in this league. You could go on a crazy run and then you could go on a crazy losing streak as well. It’s kind of weird, really.
“It’s going to be tough but we’re ready to go and more of the squad is back fit and fighting for a place. It’s great.”
Millwall manager Gary Rowett has exuded calm in the run-in and the squad are also not getting carried away with plenty of hard work left to do to make the play-offs.
Burke added: “It’s always good to have a calm head in these sorts of circumstances. We know we have to perform and almost have to think of it that it’s a massive opportunity to do something great. So why not go for it?
“Never say never but at the same time be calm about it and keep doing what we’re doing, not slip away from it or get too excited.”
Image: Millwall FC