'We have nothing to prove' - Danielle Burke and Waterford teammates ready for Cork City reunion
CITY REUNION: Lauren Walsh, Erin O'Brien, Dan Burke, Chloe Atkinson and Lauren Egbuloniu during a Waterford FC squad portraits session. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile.
Danielle Burke played 144 competitive matches for Cork City but at Turner’s Cross on Saturday evening she will experience something new, something she may have thought she would never experience.
On Saturday evening (kick-off 5pm), Burke will line up against Cork City for the first time ever when Waterford take on City in the Women’s Premier Division for the first time ever.
“It will be a bit weird going into the away dressing room,” began Burke.
Having been told her services were no longer required by the Rebel Army at the end of the 2023 season, the defender turned down the opportunity to join Galway for the 2024 campaign, instead choosing to return to her childhood club Passage.
During her brief stint back in the green kit of her local side, the centre-back helped Passage secure a second-place finish and a return to the top-flight in Cork.
But Burke admits it also helped her rediscover her love of the sport following a disappointing exit at City.
“I think going back to Passage was the best thing for me,” continued the former Ireland underage international.
“I started to really enjoy my football again; I was playing with a smile on my face, so I was really happy I did that.
“I kind of expected it (to leave City) with the amount game-time I was getting towards the end of that season, I was expecting them to say I wasn’t in their plans, but it wasn’t really a nice way to end my career at City. I probably would’ve preferred to have left on my own terms. But that’s football.
“That option (to fight for starting place) wasn’t really given to me. It was just decided that I wasn’t in their plans. If I was given the chance… I obviously wanted to play so maybe it was better off for me to leave because I didn’t want to sit on the bench for a whole season either.
“But it wasn’t really my choice. I was always so proud to represent Cork City but if I wasn’t in their plans, I wasn’t in their plans. I couldn’t really change their mind about that so there’s no point dwelling over it, it is what it is. It all worked out in the end, it could’ve been a blessing in disguise.
“I really enjoyed it (pre-season) with Galway, but it didn’t work out because of the travelling and stuff. I needed that break away from the league, just to get back enjoying my football.
“Being at Waterford now this year… I’m really happy with that so I suppose everything happens for a reason.”
Burke isn’t the only former City player that will be making her return to the Cross on Saturday having been joined at Waterford by a strong Cork contingent including Lauren Walsh, Erin O’Brien, Chloe Atkinson, Meghan Carr and Lauren Egbuloniu, who will miss the match and the rest of the season with an ACL injury.
But rather than embarking on a revenge mission, the 25-year-old insists their sole focus will be on making it three wins out of three in the league, against a City team that is three points further behind after suffering back-to-back defeats in recent weeks under the guidance of the returning Frank Kelleher.
“I don’t think we have anything to prove to anyone but Waterford,” added the Blues captain, who won the FAI Cup with City under Kelleher back in 2017.
“I’ve done my time at City; I have really good memories from there but yeah I would say that chapter is probably closed now for me.
“There is probably a lot of noise about us coming back down to play City but that’s all it will be to us, just noise.
“We won’t overthink it; we will just go into it like any other game. It’s another first. It’s the first Munster derby on the Women’s side of the clubs which is good to see. It shows the league is progressing and it’s exciting to be a part of it.
“There first few games we were trying to find out feet but then the Sligo and DLR (Waves) games we were putting more of a stamp on how we want to play.
“I think we are only getting better week in, week out. Coming off the back of two wins, we’re going to go there with full confidence, just like we would with any other game.
“We’re starting to find our rhythm now and hopefully we can keep that going.”
Asked if she would celebrate if she manages to get on the scoresheet against her former side, Burke laughed: “Absolutely!
“I don’t score much so I would be celebrating no matter what. Backflips, the whole lot.”
That would be a welcome sight for Burke’s family, who she believes will be sitting in the away end at Turner’s Cross, but not so much for her former club.
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