Peterborough's Captain Fantastic Enjoys His Day In The Spotlight
At the age of just 22-years-old, Harrison Burrows is one of the youngest captains in the English Football League, a fact that will come as no shock given his Peterborough United side has one of the lowest average ages in the professional English game.
Despite that however, Burrow’s produced a true captain’s performance on the famous Wembley turf as he led his young team-mates to victory in the 2024 Bristol Street Motors Trophy final – giving Posh a second win in the competition ten years after the first.
It marked a career highlight for Burrows, who had been part of the crowd at Wembley for that 3-1 win over Chesterfield, and was named on the bench in the competition at the age of just 15.
Starting his career as a left back, Burrows has developed his game to become of the most feared attacking players in League One and headed to Wembley having already been involved directly in 23 goals this season – with 14 assists and nine goals.
That included two goals in the semi-final victory against Blackpool that took Posh to Wembley, where Burrows would go on to be the match winner for his side.
Putting Peterborough ahead with just five minutes left to play, Burrows then stepped up again to hit the injury time winner after Wycombe had forced an equaliser that looked set to send the final to extra time.
“It’s hard to put into words how I feel, the goals and the celebrations afterwards were just crazy,” he reflected.
“In a game like that, part of you feels you have done it when you score late on, but then when they equalised, it all went down the drain again. However, we have stuck together as a team this season and have come from behind numerous times and we never gave up.
“When I picked up the ball out wide, the aim was just to put a quality ball into the box, as when you put a cross into that area, you never know where it will end up. It’s a prime example of the luck you sometimes need in a cup final, and it won us the game.”
Having had some of his first experiences in the professional game in the Trophy, Burrows added his belief that it has an important role to play for players at League One and League Two level.
“When I got my first opportunities, they came in this competition and the gaffer didn’t shy away from how important it is,” he said. “From the group stages to the knock-out stages, he has drilled into us that we have an opportunity to get to Wembley in the Trophy, and not many people will get that chance in the career.
“What more motivation do you need, as every footballer dreams of playing at Wembley. People underestimate the Bristol Street Motors Trophy but when you look at the players and the fans after the game, you can see what it means.”
Burrows wasn’t the only home-grown player involved in the final, with forward Ricky-Jade Jones having also come through Peterborough’s academy, and having also been part of the Wembley crowd ten years earlier.
“It’s such a surreal feeling,” he admitted. “I was here ten years ago as a fan and now I’m here lifting the trophy.
“When Harrison hit the cross, you think there is a chance that it might go in and when it hit the net, the feeling was just amazing, and I’m so happy for him.
“As players, winning this competition means so much. From the start, our focus was on getting to Wembley and from the moment we walked onto the pitch, we were ready to win. We never thought about losing, and we knew that if we were on our game and played at 100 per cent, no-one was beating us.”