Mark Burton (born 18 May 1974) is a retired association football player who represented the New Zealand national team at international level. He played as an attacking midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1974-05-18) 18 May 1974 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Wellington, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Brooklyn Northern United | |||
| Wellington United | |||
| Miramar Rangers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1995 | Werder Bremen II | ||
| 1995–1998 | VfL Osnabrück | 68 | (11) |
| 1998–1999 | Kickers Emden | ||
| 1999–2000 | VfB Lübeck | ||
| 2000–2004 | Football Kingz | 69 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2003 | New Zealand | 27 | (6) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
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.
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 CupinAuckland, the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament Award was presented for the first time, with Burton being deemed the best player of the tournament.