Jackie Burns has made 64 appearances for Northern Ireland, spent 15 years playing across Iceland, Canada and Sweden, and this summer signed for newly-promoted Women's Super League 2 club Burnley. She is 29 years old and already thinking hard about what comes next.

That combination — still very much in her prime, yet actively planning a second career — tells you something about the way Burns approaches the game. It is not blind ambition; it is considered preparation, and Burnley's willingness to support that ambition was, by Burns's own account, a significant factor in her decision to leave Bristol City and head to Turf Moor.

Why player welfare shaped her club choice

Burns has been candid about the friction that comes with moving clubs across different countries. The football bit, she can handle. It is everything else — finding a house, sorting a car, navigating a new city without a ready-made support network — that can quietly erode a player's confidence and focus.

"It's basic stuff like getting a house or a car which can be quite complicated if you're not from that country," Burns said. "If you have someone in a club who can help take that stress off you, it just makes the experience a lot easier. It can go unseen sometimes. For a lot of players, as soon as they feel valued, it just turns into an easier experience."

That insight did not arrive from a textbook. It comes from living it, repeatedly, across multiple leagues and continents. Burns described arriving at some clubs feeling "excited" but finding the logistical reality a genuine challenge when left to figure things out alone.

Burnley's approach — actively investing in off-pitch support — put what Burns called "value on her" as a person rather than simply as a goalkeeper. That distinction mattered enough to tip the scales.

A player-care role on the horizon

When Burns eventually steps away from the pitch — she is not rushing — she wants to remain inside the game, specifically in a player-care or welfare capacity. The idea is to smooth the transition for incoming players: ensuring they are settled, heard and functioning as people before anyone worries about their form between the sticks.

"I still want to be a part of football in whatever aspect that may be," she said. "It will probably be in more of a player-care role, just helping players as they progress through a team, and not so much on the football aspect. It's just making sure they are comfortable so it's not a challenge for them coming in. They are a player in a team — but a person too."

It is a role that professional football at every level is slowly coming to recognise as essential rather than optional, particularly as women's football expands and more players move across borders earlier in their careers.

The bigger picture for women's football

Burns joining Burnley — a club competing in WSL2 after promotion — also reflects a broader shift in the women's game. Experienced internationals with 60-plus caps are now choosing second-tier clubs where project, culture and personal development are prioritised over the headline pull of a top-flight name.

For Burnley, landing a goalkeeper with Burns's international record and global experience represents a genuine statement of intent. For Burns, it represents a club that meets her where she is: a professional athlete with ambitions that extend beyond the final whistle.

Frequently asked

Which club has Jackie Burns signed for?
Jackie Burns signed for Burnley Women this summer after leaving Bristol City. Burnley were promoted to Women's Super League 2 ahead of the 2025-26 season.
How many caps has Jackie Burns won for Northern Ireland?
Burns has made 64 appearances for Northern Ireland, establishing herself as the country's first-choice goalkeeper.
What does Jackie Burns want to do after football?
Burns has spoken about pursuing a player-care role once her playing career ends — focusing on helping players settle at new clubs by supporting them with practical and personal challenges, not just footballing ones.