Cove Rangers manager Paul Hartley has challenged striker Rumarn Burrell to end the season as Scotland’s leading goalscorer.
Burrell picked up his second successive League One player of the month award, claiming both the November and December prizes, and has hit the 20-goal mark for Cove already.
Burrell is leading the way across the SPFL – and Hartley believes the 23 year-old can end the season on top of the goal charts.
The Cove boss said: “There’s no reason why he cannot score another 10 goals to get to 30. That should be his aim now – and I’m sure he will if he maintains his form.
“I don’t think there’s any reason why he can’t get there. He has team-mates who set up opportunities for him, and if he keeps working, he’ll get there.
“He should probably have more goals than he has as he had had chances, but there’s no reason why he cannot finish the top goalscorer in Scotland.”
Cove boss faces fight to keep Burrell at Balmoral Stadium
Hartley is under no illusions keeping Burrell at Balmoral Stadium will be a huge challenge.
With his leading scorer out of contract in the summer, Hartley knows the forward will not be short of offers elsewhere – but the Cove manager is determined not to lose the attacker in the January window.
He said: “We’ll find it hard to hang on to him.
“He’s a striker and he’s scoring goals, but we’ve told him he’ll be here until the end of the season and we’ll see what happens after that.
“This has been his best season so far, but he has only played half-a-season and has to continue.
“He’s a centre-forward, he’s young, can score goals, has pace and technically he is very good.
“We’re lucky we’ve got him, but he’ll be here until the end of the season.
“There haven’t been any bids, but who knows what could happen between now and the end of the window.
“We want to try to keep him, and we’ve spoken to him and his agent, but it’s difficult sometimes when you are dealing with a striker who is going to attract interest from bigger clubs. That’s just a fact.”
Awards are richly deserved for in-form striker
✌️ 𝙄𝙉 𝘼 𝙍𝙊𝙒….
Rumarn Burrell has been voted as @cinchuk League One Player of the Month for December
Score in 8⃣ successive league matches ✅
2⃣0⃣ Goals for the Season ✅Congratulations, @Rumarn_Burrell! 👏
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) January 11, 2024
The Cove attacker scored in all four of his side’s matches in December and also netted his second hat-trick of the campaign against Annan Athletic, as well as notching a double against Edinburgh City.
Hartley said: “Double player of the month – good for him.
“He’s a quiet boy, very laidback, but he’s done well.
“This is the best spell of his career if you look at his stats, but we keep banging on at him that he has to keep working hard and keep his quality up.
“He’s been brilliant, and to have 20 goals at the turn of the year is brilliant for Burrell.
“But he has to keep it going – it can’t be for just half-a-season.
“He’s in brilliant form, is a great player to work with and he goes about his business.”
Burrell was thrilled to collect the award and was quick to acknowledge his team-mates’ contribution.
He said: “I was so pleased to get the November award, having scored the first hat-trick of my career, and my aim was to keep the standards up – the consistency – and to keep scoring.
“As a striker you live off your confidence.
“It’s been getting higher and higher, and that’s allowed me to do more in games, scoring and helping with assists, and doing more for the side.
“My team-mates have been brilliant. I love playing with them week in, week out, and they have been great creating the opportunities for me. I need to thank them – they’ve all played a big part in me getting these awards.”
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