Could Oliver Burke be the first Scottish superstar in a generation?

It’s difficult to imagine, but Scotland was once a hotbed of world class footballing talent. Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Denis Law, Jimmy Johnstone, they all learned their trade north of the border, and all pulled on the dark blue of the country’s national team. Now the epitome of glorious failure and tedious tragedy, Scottish football was once seen in a very different light.

Decades of failure have taken their toll on the sport north of the border. There’s a malaise in Scottish football that has proved difficult to shift and with the national team approaching 20 years since their last appearance at a major tournament that sense of self-pity will be entrenched even deeper by the time Russia 2018 comes around (unless Gordon Strachan actually leads them there).

One player could lift that malaise, though. Oliver Burke became the most expensive Scottish player in history by making the £13 million move from Nottingham Forest to RB Leipzig last month, sparking hope that the country could once again possess a truly elite talent. Could the 19-year-old be the first Scottish football superstar in a generation?

His first few appearances in the Bundesliga suggest so, with Burke scoring just four minutes into his first start for RB Leipzig on Sunday. The winger has already made himself a regular member of the Scotland squad and is now making good on the promise so many see in him. Those who have watched him develop at Nottingham Forest insist he’s the real deal. The new Gareth Bale, among other things.

“We know what his strengths are and we see it every week on the pitch,” his former teammate Thomas Lam gushed after Burke’s switch to the Bundesliga. “He is a similar player to Gareth Bale. I do not want to say he is definitely going to be as good as him. But you can see the similarities there.”

However, there have been false dawns for Scottish prodigies before. Most recently there was Ryan Gauld, who after breaking into the Dundee United first team as a 16 year old was reportedly courted by the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool before making the refreshingly bold move to Sporting Lisbon. As a still fledgling 20-year-old, Gauld is far from washed up, but his progress has undoubtedly stalled in Portugal. He almost certainly won’t become the mini Messi (at 5ft 6” he is indeed shorted than the Barcelona playmaker) he was billed as not so long ago.

John Fleck was another who was tipped for the very top of the sport, with the country’s press hailing him as Scotland’s very own Wayne Rooney. The former Rangers midfielder has now forged a reasonable career for himself at Sheffield United, but his name won’t exactly be gracing any list alongside that of Dalglish et al.

Tony Watt was another hailed as a possible Scottish footballing superstar after scoring a now fabled goal against Barcelona for Celtic in the Champions League, but his attitude and commitment came under scrutiny and it wasn’t long before he was discounted as a prodigal talent.

The Scottish game is littered with examples of wunderkinds who aren’t so wonderful anymore, providing something of an analogy for the decline football north of the border has suffered in recent times. Burke, however, is unlike any other talent recently produced by the country.

There’s a conviction to the 19-year-old that is rarely found in players of his age. He unashamedly talks about wanting to be the best and how being born in Kirkcaldy should be no barrier to him achieving that aim. “When Gareth Bale was at Southampton, no one could have predicted what he would go on to achieve. I believe I can do that,” he bullishly claims. “Obviously I have a lot to learn and I have to work incredibly hard, but why not? You have to have a dream.”

His decision to make the switch to the Bundesliga, rather than signing for a team in the lower echelons of the Premier League, underlines Burke’s mentality. In Germany he will open his footballing mind, learning a new style of play, taking on new methods and techniques, that will only further his development. Burke has spoken candidly about how RB Leipzig’s coaching staff have already told him his “hard drive is only halfway.” Over there he will fill up his tactical hard drive.

What’s more, he has all the physical attributes to be the player so many have predicted him to become. Few teenagers can boast the physique Burke can; 6 feet tall and built like a UFC fighter. The Scottish game has long searched for a talent who has both the physical and mental qualities to handle the pressure of being the country’s footballing vanguard. Burke could be the result of that search.