Soccer: Burton strives to match greater demands

By Terry Maddaford

Mark Burton doubts he will ever get used to playing in snow with an orange soccer ball.

While the All Whites midfielder enjoys the rewards playing at a high level in Germany brings he admits there have been some hurdles in the eight years he has been in his adopted homeland.

"When I first went there I couldn't speak a word of German so they put me into school," said 25-year-old Burton. "Now I can speak it fluently."

Burton, a key member of the All Whites team who opened their pre-Confederation's Cup tour with draws against Thailand and Poland - before losing both games in penalty shootouts - is finding conditions in Thailand, and now Oman, vastly different than those in his adopted homeland.

But he still talks enthusiastically about his time in Germany and his long-term aspirations.

After signing as a 17-year-old with Wynton Rufer's old club Werder Bremen - he played three years in their second team - Burton has played in the third division for the past four seasons (three with Osnabrueck, the last with Emden).

He has just signed a one-year contract with Lubeck and will move there (a three-hour drive north of Hamburg) after the Confederation's Cup - having missed pre-season training and the first game of the new season.

Burton admits it has been hard but is far from giving it away. The rewards ensure he is financially better off than he ever could be working a nine-to-five job in New Zealand. And there is always the chance of snaring a contract with one of the big clubs.

"I'm trying as hard as I can and enjoy what I'm doing. I would only reconsider my future if I felt I had reached a level where I was not progressing. I had my best season in the one just finished and feel I'm starting to get somewhere."

Playing for New Zealand remains a high priority, especially at tournaments like the Confederation's Cup where he and his team-mates will be on the world stage with the chance of catching a scout's eye and possibly a ticket to the big time.

Burton played under former national coach Barrie Truman at Miramar Rangers for a couple of national league seasons before taking a month's trial at Werder Bremen. He returned to New Zealand to finish school certificate and left again halfway through his sixth form year.

A naturally left-footed player, Burton played as a striker at Miramar and left midfield in his early years in Germany. Now he is relishing a central midfield role averaging between seven and 12 goals in a 34-game league season.

His most important, however, was scored in Brisbane last October in his eighth game for the All Whites when he ran on to a Vaughan Coveny pass and thumped home the goal which gave New Zealand their precious 1-0 Nation's Cup triumph over the Socceroos and a ticket to Mexico.