Millwall boss on Oliver Burke situation – after Sheffield United made bid comment earlier this week

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has talked about Oliver Burke’s situation after Sheffield United reacted to comments made by the attacker.

Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom said earlier this week that any deal for the attacker would have to be right for them.

Burke had been quoted sounding receptive to potentially extending his stay in SE16 beyond the end of the season. He joined on loan towards the end of the winter transfer window.

But Rowett has moved to play things down.

“The way I see that is Oli has been asked the question, he’s at Millwall at the moment, and he’s obviously got to sound enthused about the prospect of staying,” Rowett told the South London Press. “I don’t think he said more than any other player on loan would feel like they have to say. I don’t think Sheffield United have said any more than they have to say.

“It’s not like I’m sat here saying: ‘We bid X’. Everyone is just stating the obvious. If someone speculated about one of our players I would be saying that same – that he is our player, unless someone comes in with an offer.

“I don’t think anyone has done anything that normally wouldn’t be done at this stage of the season. We’ll always be respectful of any club – if a player is contracted to them then he is their player. What happens at the end of the season and start of the next season, there will be a lot of conversations and lots of different possibilities for a number of these players.

“All I can say, like I have done before, is that he has done really well for us. If he hadn’t have been injured, we’d have seen more goals and assists. That’s why we brought him in.”