McBurnie vs Real Madrid: Scotland striker's new life in Spain

Oli McBurnie in action for Las Palmas in their La Liga encounter with Leganes at the weekend

Oli McBurnie is already adjusting to life in Spain following his move this summer from Sheffield United to Las Palmas.

While he may not have scored for the Canary Island club in their first two La Liga games of the season the Scotland striker takes great pleasure that he has not yet been booked.

The 28-year-old was sent off twice in the Premier League last season and booked 10 times the campaign before that.

"My disciplinary record was one of the main things my agent was worried about for me coming over here," McBurnie tells BBC Sport.

"He was worried about dissent. He said the referees are different here to England. But so far, it has been alright. Two games, no yellow cards and no running to the referee."

On Thursday the Scot faces the biggest challenge so far in his burgeoning La Liga career when Carlo Ancelotti brings his European and Spanish champions Real Madrid to the Estadio Gran Canaria.

"I have played against Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal for years but Real Madrid and Barcelona are different," says McBurnie, who spent five years in Sheffield.

"I don’t know if it is because we are British and we don’t see as much of them.

"I am really excited and a lot of my friends are coming over to see the game. No-one was asking for tickets when we played Leganes at the weekend but everyone wanted them for this. Make of that what you will."

Las Palmas have collected a point from their opening two games. McBurnie is yet to score – but is still claiming a goal in the opening day draw with Sevilla, reposting their post on X that they had fallen 1-0 down to a goal from the former Blades man.

"I am a striker, you claim everything," he adds. "I don’t just want to score because it is Real Madrid. I want to score in every game I play in. If we get three points and I don’t score, that is perfectly fine by me."

On why he took up a 'new challenge'

McBurnie likens his move to Spain to the one he made as a 19-year-old when he left Bradford City, close to where he was brought up on the outskirts of Leeds, for Swansea as a 19-year-old in 2015.

He had remained with Sheffield United for the start of pre-season training following their relegation from the Premier League, even though his contract with the Blades had expired. He was offered a deal to stay at Bramall Lane, but felt he needed a change.

"When you have been at a club for five years, you get comfortable and relaxed," he says. "Everything is the same and sometimes that is not the best thing for you.

"You need new challenges, to test yourself and put yourself outside of your comfort zone, not just as a footballer but as a person as well. I always kept the manager (Chris Wilder) in the loop. They offered me a contract but I was open and honest with him the whole time.

"When Las Palmas came in, I thought it would be a great experience. In the end, it came down to knowing if I didn’t do it, I would always be wondering 'what if'."

McBurnie has been joined by his partner and two-month old daughter in Gran Canaria and describes his first few weeks at the club as "quiet".

That is a positive as it has not always been that way. Four years ago he was banned for drink driving.

In 2021 a video emerged of him being involved in a street altercation in north Yorkshire. The following month police said the investigation had been concluded and two men were cautioned.

Then in December 2022 he was cleared of assaulting a Nottingham Forest supporter following a pitch invasion at the City Ground.

"Maybe it is nice to be a little bit out of the limelight,” he says of his recent move to the Spanish island.

"It didn’t really come across my mind in terms of decision making. I act the way I am. I have never really been able to hide or change that. Sometimes it has been a little bit detrimental to me. But I just thought of this as a new challenge."

Sharing the dressing room with a fellow Scot and international ambitions

Oli McBurnie (nine) lines up with Scott McKenna (six) as they make their international debuts for Scotland against Costa Rica in March 2018

McBurnie says most of the players speak Spanish and he has a tutor helping him learn.

"It is coming along but it is very difficult," he says. "I can understand a lot more than I can say. It is finding the right verbs to be able to reply in a full sentence. I can say a lot of singular words but putting them into sentences is the next part of the challenge."

To that end, he has someone alongside him to help with the learning process.

McBurnie shared Scotland dressing rooms with Scott McKenna from youth level all the way through to the senior national side. They even made their full debuts together in the same friendly defeat by Costa Rica in 2018.

While McKenna was part of his country’s Euro 2024 squad, McBurnie won the last of his 16 caps in March 2021.

He still wants to represent Scotland, an allegiance he owes to his grandparents, patriotic Scots who were both north of the border, and his dad. But for now, McKenna’s presence provides a friend in the dressing room and a competitor in the language learning.

"I am ahead of Scott definitely. Scott needs to grasp the English language before he moves onto Spanish," jokes McBurnie.

"I have known him for 10 years. As soon as the club asked me about him, I gave a glowing review and did the same about the club to him.

"It is imperative we don’t sit in our own little corner all day speaking English but it is a bit of comfort there knowing there is someone you can speak to.

"He is a top defender as well so it is really good to have him here and winding him up keeps me entertained."