Imposing even when sitting down and bold of thought despite his tender years, Oliver Burke is clearly a special case among Britain’s burgeoning football talents.

Having caused a stir this summer by leaving Nottingham Forest to sign for RB Leipzig in a £13million deal, the 19-year-old is explaining with refreshing candour why he spurned Premier League clubs to relocate to Germany.

It was an unusual choice for one so young but much about Burke is different, from his honest take on rejecting England’s advances to stick with Scotland to his hulking 6ft 2in frame that can run 100 metres in under 11 seconds.

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Oliver Burke joined Bundesliga new-boys RB Leipzig this summer in a deal worth £13million

The 19-year-old is now the most expensive Scottish football of all time following his move

Burke made his debut against Dortmund and scored his first goal against Cologne last month

The young winger says he had offers from England, but RB Leipzig persuaded him to move

That physique is making a chair in the media room at Leipzig’s fabulous training base look kids-size.

‘I stepped foot in the place and it was perfect,’ says Burke, who was flown over alongside sporting director Ralf Rangnick (consulted by the FA over the England manager’s role) and head coach Ralph Hasenhuttl just hours after scoring in a 3-1 win against Leeds with his last kick in a Forest shirt.

‘We were on the plane and they were showing me all their ways of playing. I smiled. I thought I was only grabbing attention off the English clubs, until I found out through my agent. I was gobsmacked.

‘We were chatting the whole way to Germany and they were telling me about how I could fit into the team, what role I would have. Not just saying how good I am as a player, which is always nice to hear, but also, “You have a long way to go as well. Your hard drive is only half full defensively.” Damn!

Burke started his career with Nottingham Forest, joining the club aged just eight years old

He has drawn comparisons with Gareth Bale thanks to his combination of speed and size

Burke on his decision to leave Forest: 'I feel they were happy to take the money and let me go.'

‘The move surprised a lot of people but the facilities are some of the best in the world. Everything you need. Not just that, it is the love. If the manager really wants you, that is the main priority. I didn’t even know how much they were paying for me, I was just like, “Wow, let’s do it. Let’s play in the Bundesliga”.’

All the Premier League’s elite have kept track of Burke’s career, which only stands at 35 first-team games. Both Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham took a keen look. Bayern Munich were interested too, particularly after he scored four goals in five Championship games in August. But Burke had made up his mind.

‘I was going to visit Tottenham,’ he reveals. ‘But I said no because Leipzig showed enough care and attention to the little details. For a young man I don’t want to go somewhere that is a big club and be thinking am I going to play? Am I going to progress? Or are they just going to stick me out on loan, which happens a lot at English clubs.

‘You can only look at Chelsea, and see the amount of talent they have, but they’re all on loan, not getting used. You don’t feel wanted when you sign for a club, you’re there for two training sessions, and then they buy someone else in your position for double the amount.

Burke has so far made four appearances for Leipzig, scoring one and providing an assist

The youngster admitted he had the chance to join Tottenham, but opted to move to Germany

‘So it’s a no-brainer really. They made clear I was going to be a vital part of the team, which I have shown against Cologne and Dortmund. I don’t regret not going to the Premier League.’

The start to Burke’s German adventure could hardly have gone better, with the team unbeaten in fifth. On his first appearance as a late substitute he set up the winner against Borussia Dortmund. For his full debut at Cologne he found the net inside five minutes to earn his side a point and become the first Scot to score a Bundesliga goal since Brian O’Neil in 1999.

Kick-off for that game was delayed by 15 minutes as home fans staged a protest blocking Leipzig’s team bus because of the controversy surrounding Red Bull’s backing.

WHO IS OLIVER BURKE? Born in Kirkcaldy on April 7th, 1997 Joined Nottingham Forest's youth academy at the age of eight Made his first-team debut in a 3-1 Capital One Cup defeat to Tottenham in September, 2014 Made 18 Championship appearances during the 2015/16 season for Forest Made his debut for Scotland in a 1-0 friendly win over Denmark in March 2016 Score four times and provided one assist in the first month of the 2016/17 season Joined RB Leipzig for £13million, becoming the most expensive Scottish footballer ever Provided an assist on his debut to help Leipzig beat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Scored his first goal in his third appearance for Leipzig in the 1-1 draw against Cologne Advertisement

German fans are concerned their fabled supporter membership regulations — the 50 plus one rule is in place to ensure clubs hold a majority of their own voting rights — have been corrupted by Red Bull’s commercial structure. So as Leipzig have risen up the divisions they have fanned the flames among rival fans. Upon this season’s promotion to the top flight they were christened the most hated club in Germany.

‘It doesn’t bother me at all,’ is Burke’s response. He is more concerned about the bricks and mortar. About playing in front of 43,000 at a recently renovated stadium and, across the canal, training at a complex designed by Rangnick that rivals any in Europe.

Before it was opened 18 months ago, the whole operation was housed in five temporary buildings. Now each player has their own apartment, signposted by a shirt with their name hanging outside, to allow for afternoon naps in between double training sessions. There is also a games room for team bonding, featuring a snooker table, computer console and chessboard.

‘I am definitely not touching that chessboard!’ says Burke. His mind will be focused on adapting to Leipzig’s ‘gegenpressing’ style and fitting into the Bundesliga’s youngest squad, average age 23.

‘It is definitely a different style of play,’ Burke concedes. ‘Sometimes at Forest I would have the freedom to stay wide and stay attacking, maybe not do so much defensively. It’s not about individuality. You really have to work for the team to win the ball back.’

Burke has an apartment in the centre of town but has yet to properly explore his new surroundings.

‘I’ve had a quick coffee but that’s it so far,’ he says. ‘Maybe the language barrier is a little bit tough but at the end of the day it is football isn’t it? I am having German lessons two or three times a week, that will help a lot.’

He doesn’t crave any particular food given the pancakes served by the club chef are exemplary but is yearning for some home comforts.

‘If anything I just miss my mum,’ he says. ‘I am always with her. She plays a big part of my life. The phone calls are great but you want to have your family around. Before I signed I said, “Is this OK?” because I didn’t want to upset them too much. But it’s something they couldn’t let me turn down.’

He says mum Sally has been a little concerned. ‘She gets nervous and can’t sleep — “My son’s in Germany right now, what’s he doing?” — and I’m like, “Mum, relax, they’re taking care of me, it’s fine”.’

Burke made his debut for Scotland in the 1-0 win against Denmark earlier this year

The FA offered him the chance to play for England, but he chose his country of birth, Scotland

Sally, stepfather Fraser, dad Jasen plus his four siblings and one stepsister will make regular trips, and possibly even move permanently.

‘Back home I was living with the family,’ Burke says. ‘It was great; they did all my washing! But they’ve come over and watched pretty much all the games so far. Maybe after Christmas, they can move and live in Germany because really family is what makes me.

‘I’ve said, “You don’t have to move because you’ve all got jobs and the kids are at school, and I don’t want to affect their friendships”. But for some reason they want it to happen more than I do! So maybe they miss me quite a lot.’

Forest fans certainly long for Burke. A homegrown player to excite, a winger who runs at opponents with abandon, who has speed, power, skill and finishing ability. They were up in arms when owner Fawaz Al Hasawi agreed to the sale without a sell-on clause. It was a record fee for a Scottish player but plenty believe Burke will be worth much more in the future.

‘To be honest I didn’t feel they really wanted to keep me,’ he says. ‘I feel they were very happy to take the money and let me go.

‘A lot of people are saying my agent forced the deal for the money. It was never forced. I didn’t have talks with Fawaz, but we knew they were accepting offers, anything over a certain amount.

‘I thought they could have at least pulled me aside and said, “Look, this is going on”. Had a chat.

‘The price tag doesn’t really get to me because that is the way football is going. Everybody is going for huge amounts nowadays. It is scary!’

THE BUZZ ABOUT BURKE 'We're delighted that we have managed to lure such a talented player away from England. He's tall, incredibly quick. He's got lots of promise for the future.' - Ralf Rangnick, RB Leipzig sporting director 'Everybody is looking for someone to look up to and give us a bit of status. It's a big move, going abroad to play and he seems to have handled it pretty well. ' - Kenny Dalglish '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 - he does scare the life out of opponents.' - Thomas Lam, Nottingham Forest defender 'The first time I saw him on the training pitch, I was licking my lips. There was something really special about him - his movement, his size, his ball control' - Mark McGhee, Scotland assistant coach 'I'm not saying he's going to be as good as Gareth Bale, but the similarities are there. He's definitely got the potential to be as good as him.' - Gordon Strachan Advertisement

Burke concedes everything happened very quickly, adding to the shock of the transfer, and even his friends struggled to keep up. ‘“Leipzig?” they said. “They play in the Bundesliga,” I told them. “Bloomin’ eck, so you’re living in Germany now?”. It was funny but emotional as well. As soon as I signed my deal I flew back home, sat on my sofa and went, “Phew”.’

Burke is used to moving fast though. He would do athletics at school and always won the relay for his team as last-leg runner.

‘People keep asking me my 100m time and I’m trying to measure it in my head because age 13 I ran it in about 11 seconds. So maybe it’s a little bit quicker now! I might have to try out the training ground track.’

That speed, allied to his position and muscularity — aided by 8am weight sessions undertaken at the behest of Dougie Freedman, the former Forest manager — has inevitably drawn comparisons to those Goliaths of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Burke does not shy away from that but urges caution.

‘I was a little bit crazy as a kid, always on my phone or YouTube watching videos of Ronaldo and Bale, constantly,’ he says. ‘It is something that I strive for.

‘But come on, there is a long way to go. I haven’t done anything compared to what they have.

‘It is a great comparison and obviously a great feeling, but I would say steady on a little bit and let me just do my thing on the pitch and see where it gets me.’

Doing his thing is likely to take him to Wembley, when Scotland face Gareth Southgate’s side in November’s World Cup qualifier. Had England had their way he could have been lining up for the home side.

Born in Kirkcaldy due to his Scottish father, Burke grew up in Melton Mowbray when his parents split and before making his senior debut against Denmark in March, FA officials tried to suggest he avoid committing his international future there and then.

‘They did try a little cheeky one but it was never going to happen,’ Burke reveals. ‘It was nothing direct but I did hear when I was away with the senior squad for the first time they didn’t want me to play for Scotland.

‘I was like, “No way! I’ve played for Scotland at youth level, I can’t change”. Who does that? I love playing for Scotland, it is my country. It is where I was born. Every time I wear the badge I get goosebumps.’