Soccer: Burton lift for Kingz on road up ladder

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Mark Burton played his first game of soccer in New Zealand for more than 10 years when he turned out for the Football Kingz against Adelaide City last week.

While it was not a winning return to his homeland, 26-year-old Burton enjoyed the chance to play under coach Wynton Rufer and has pledged to play out the season with the Auckland-based team.

Being reunited with Rufer completed a story which began when a starry-eyed youngster met his soccer-playing idol signing autographs in Brookby after the 1982 World Cup.

"He didn't have a clue who I was," Burton admitted. "But a few years later when I was playing under Jim McMullan (Rufer's former personal trainer), Wynton called him from Germany offering to pay for a young player to join him and have a trial with Werder Bremen.

"Jim recommended me. In my first year I played in their youth side then went on to their second team. By 18, I was a professional footballer."

Burton had four years as a professional at Bremen, occasionally playing in the first team before taking up an offer with third-division VFL Osnabruck, where he played for three years.

"It was a good income - the top players were getting around $300,000 a year - and a good lifestyle," he said.

Burton said it was another step along his footballing path. Just as he sees his season with the Kingz.

"I have learned in this game not to set too many goals," Burton said. "For one reason or another, the game against Adelaide was my first proper game for a year."

It did not take too long to see why Burton is rated as one of New Zealand's best, despite his long absence.

A canny player with good vision and skills, Burton will be a real asset. The challenge is for his team-mates to lift their game to something close to his level.

Burton has played 16 times for the All Whites - obviously not a case of out of sight, out of mind - but scored only one goal.

That goal, though truly memorable and arguably the most important since Rufer's match-clincher against China in Singapore in 1982 which ensured New Zealand's place in the World Cup finals.

Burton's crucial strike came in the 1998 Oceania Nations Cup final in Brisbane when the All Whites beat Australia 1-0 to book their place in last year's Confederations Cup in Mexico.

After the Mexico tournament, Burton joined Lubeck, another German third division club, but after being kicked in the knee in training, his season ended after just six games.

"It was really frustrating, and even now after a couple of operations I'm not yet 100 per cent fit, but it's coming right," said Burton before leaving with the Kingz for tonight's game against Perth Glory.

Provided Arran Lines come through the flight and does not further aggravate his troublesome hip, he will again join Burton in the starting lineup.

They are likely to be joined in a four-strong midfield tonight by Jeff Campbell and Ivan Vicelich, who returns to the engine room after playing in a three-man defence in last week's loss to Adelaide.

Captain Harry Ngata could be a casualty and might start tonight's game on the bench with Chris Jackson in an expanded squad of 16.

"With Lines in some doubt, we are taking an extra player to Perth," Rufer said. "While we will not make a final decision until we arrive, there could be other changes, including playing four at the back and only two up front."

It is an important game for the Kingz, who have won only two of their first five games and are in the bottom half of the points table.