We profile our new signing Wes Burns
After the news that Fleetwood Town have completed the signing of Wes Burns from Bristol City, here’s everything you need to know about the 22-year-old forward…
Burns will be familiar to the Fleetwood faithful having spent time at Highbury on loan last season. Burns arrived in February and enjoyed a fruitful spell at Town – making 14 appearances and scoring five goals.
While at Town Burns found the net against Coventry, Gillingham, Burton Albion, Swindon and Peterborough – and he played a major part in helping the club retain its League One status.
Burns started his youth career at Cardiff City, though he was snapped up by Bristol City’s scouts when he was not offered an Under-16 contract.
After a rapid rise through The Robin’s youth team he signed his first professional contract in 2012 and he made his professional debut a year later when he came on as a substitute against Leeds.
Burns has featured sporadically for City over his five years in the first team set-up, featuring 54 times in all competitions and scoring four goals, though he has also enjoyed several spells away from the club on loan.
In 2013 Burns had a short spell on loan at Forest Green Rovers, where he played six games, netting once, before he was recalled by Bristol City to act as back up for the first team.
In the 14/15 season Burns was loaned to Oxford United and Cheltenham Town, where he made a combined 23 appearances and scored five goals.
Although in the 15/16 season City’s gaffer Steve Cotterill decided Burns was ready for an extended spell in the first team and Burns featured 14 times in the first half of the season, scoring one goal, before being loaned to Fleetwood.
After enjoying a string of good performances at Highbury, which earnt him a contract extension at City, Burns returned to Ashton Gate at the end of the season.
The Welshman spent the first half of this season on loan from Bristol City at Scottish Premiership side, Aberdeen, where he has made 21 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal against Ventspils in the Europa League.
Burns has 18 caps and six goals for the Welsh Under-21s, and he was featured in the 29 man training squad ahead of EURO 2016, though he did not make the cut for the final 23 man squad which travelled to France.