A wet and windy January afternoon in south-east London back in 2015 saw a the then largely unknown quantity of Oli McBurnie nod home his first ever professional goal.

A header from a right wing cross opened the scoring for Chester FC in a 3-1 win for the Blues at Welling United in the most dismal of conditions.

It was McBurnie's first goal for the Blues during a successful loan spell from Bradford City and his first goal in senior football. What has followed since then is a meteoric rise.

McBurnie, now a fully-fledged Scotland international with Premier League appearances under his belt, is very much a key component of Swansea City's assault on the summit of the Championship this season under new manager Graham Potter.

Oli McBurnie celebrates a Chester goal with John Rooney
Oli McBurnie celebrates a Chester goal with John Rooney

The Swans sit seventh in the division after three games as they plot a return to the top flight.

And just a few short years since bagging for the Blues in the driving rain at Park View Road, McBurnie has caught the attention of one of world football's most respected coaches, Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa, who counts Marseille, Athletic Bilbao and Lazio among his former clubs, takes his Leeds side to Swansea this evening.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Bielsa said: "In their style, the goalkeeper and defenders build and it’s the feature that you can underline with Swansea. They have a real number nine (McBurnie) and they have substitutes who can change the game.”

McBurnie spent a successful stint on loan at Barnsley in the Championship last season and had been linked with a move to Steven Gerrard's Glasgow Rangers - the club he supported as a boy - during the summer.

Swansea City's Oliver McBurnie (left) and Birmingham City's Harlee Dean (right) battle for the ball during the Sky Bet Championship match at St Andrew's.

But Leeds-born McBurnie has stayed put at the Liberty Stadium, and his attitude has pleased new boss Potter.

“On the first day I spoke to Oli about his contract, and he just said ‘look I just want to have the chance to play’,” said Potter.

"He didn’t say ‘look, I want to play’. He knows that it does not work that way, and I think some players sometimes forget that.

“He said ‘I just want to play, and if I’m not good enough then that’s fine. But if I am, I want to be in with a chance to play’.

"And I think probably he’s seen players come in with bigger CVs and better history in their careers and probably he’s had to take a step back, but he’s fantastic.

"You wouldn’t want a better person to represent the club than him.”