As a teenager, Burton was recommended to SV Werder Bremen by compatriot and New Zealand football legend Wynton Rufer who played for Bremen at the time. After spending several years in their youth and amateur sides, he moved to lower division teams VfL Osnabrück, Kickers Emden and VfB Lübeck before returning to New Zealand.
International career
Burton played for the New Zealand national team collecting 27 caps and six goals in official FIFA internationals between 1996 and 2003.[1][2] He twice played at the FIFA Confederations Cup and also twice at the OFC Nations Cup. At the 2002 OFC Nations Cup in Auckland, the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament Award was presented for the first time, with Burton being deemed the best player of the tournament.
