Besart happy to be a Claret

Last updated : 16 June 2007 By Tony Scholes
I think it is fair to say that few Burnley supporters had even heard of Berisha until three weeks. That was when he starred for Albania in the Turf Moor international, and the night he scored his first international goal. Such was his performance that he was the player talked about in the days following the game rather than any of the England players despite beating Albania 3-1.

None of us would have seen him play before for certain, and that also included Clarets' boss Steve Cotterill. "The first time I saw him was probably along with everyone else when he played against England, and I've checked him out a few times since", Cotterill said.

He has, and pursued him, winning the race for his signature earlier this week. "From the first moment I spoke to him he wanted to come to Burnley," the manager said. "I think the England game has set the imagination for him. He said he was delighted to be joining Burnley and we've got an exciting young prospect.

"He's one of those lads I think the fans will take to. They will feel connected to him and every Burnley fan at the England game that night will have wanted to sign him. I hope it all works out for him. He is a good lad. He wanted to come to England and when I met him he was full of excitement."

The signing is, as we know, subject to us receiving a work permit for him. And we know how difficult that has proved in the past. "What we will have to do now is go to a work permit panel," said Cotterill. "We have put our application in and are now just waiting for a date to be finalised.

"I met with some solicitors, guys who are very up to date with procedures for work permits and they think we have a very good case. We are better and more professionally prepared with these situations that we have been, but having said that we did prepare before."

There is an air of confidence that we will be successful, and looking at Besart Berisha's background it is hardly surprising. An article from FIFA in December 2006 has explained something of his history.

Along with his family he fled Yugoslavia at the age of seven, and they settled in a refugee settlement in Berlin. They were allowed an extended stay in Germany because his mother was extremely traumatised, but there were still problems ahead. After playing in junior football he was offered a deal by Hamburg in 2004. To achieve that he would have to re-enter Germany formally and that mean returning to his homeland, now Serbia, for citizenship.

He was there for a month, and during that time had to go into hiding from potential kidnappers who thought he might be of some value as a professional footballer. Eventually back in Germany, his residence papers only allowed him to play first team football and so Hamburg loaned him out to two Danish clubs before eventually everything came to fruition in the last year.

He made his debut for Hamburg, scoring on that debut in the Champions League against CSKA Moscow. In October he finally became eligible to play international football for Albania, and was immediately included in their next game.

Besart was very popular with the Hamburg fans and also with head coach Thomas Doll, but Doll lost his job and was replaced by Huub Stevens in February. New coach Stevens plays a different system, with just one forward player and that meant fewer opportunities.

That, and his first visit to Turf Moor, has led to this transfer, along with his performance impressing Steve Cotterill. We just need to get through the work permit situation and then look forward to seeing him in a Burnley shirt, starting at Accrington in four weeks time.