Hearts sign Northern Ireland under-21 star Bobby Burns from Glenavon

Hearts have signed 18-year-old striker Bobby Burns from Glenavon for an undisclosed fee.

The Northern Ireland under-21 international joins the Edinburgh club on a three-year deal after impressing for the Lurgan club in the Premiership this season.

The terms of the transfer will see Hearts play a friendly at Mourneview Park in 2019 and has built-in performance-related bonuses for the Irish League club.

Antrim native Burns had a breakthrough season for the Lurgan Blues this season, making 41 appearances up front and at left back, scoring eight times and making 12 assists.

He made his debut in 2015 as a 14-year-old shortly after joining the club but has only this year established himself as a key first-team player.

Burns was named Glenavon's Young Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year, and has been nominated for the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year.

He has already been invited to train with Michael O'Neill's senior international squad on the back of his prodigious domestic form.

“Obviously we’re delighted for Bobby but we’re sad to lose him at the same time,” Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton told the club's official website.

“He’s been with us since he was 14 and in fact he was only 14 when he made his first team debut in a pre-season game.

“We always knew he had the potential to play at the highest level and we expected he would get a move maybe after a couple of seasons playing in the first team for us but he’s done it after just one.



“To get a move to a major club like Hearts shows that they recognize the potential that Bobby has and I’m sure he’ll grab this opportunity and hopefully have a successful career as a professional footballer.”