An in-depth look into our latest summer recruit, Mason Burstow...
Born in Greenwich, Mason Burstow played football locally in Glyndon, London, before having trials at Norwich City and Chelsea at the age of 14.
Let go aged 16, Burstow joined Welling United before switching to fellow non-league side Maidstone United in 2020. While at Maidstone, Burstow netted five goals in eight starts for their development squad before earning a second trial at Chelsea.
However, the forward moved to Charlton Athletic in 2020, featuring heavily for the Addicks’ Under-18 side that won the Professional Development League South title and finished runners-up in the national final, losing to Wigan Athletic.
The 2021/22 season was a breakout year for Burstow, who scored with his first touch in senior football in a 6-1 win over Crawley Town in the EFL Trophy in August 2021, netting the fifth and assisting the sixth in just nine minutes.
Making his league debut three months later against Plymouth Argyle, Burstow became a regular in the first team, scoring six goals in 14 games in all competitions prior to the winter transfer deadline day. Signing for Premier League side Chelsea before returning to Charlton on loan for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign, the striker in total featured 23 times for the Addicks, scoring six times and recording three assists. He made his Chelsea Under-23 debut in May 2022, playing the full Premier League 2 game in a 2-1 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Upon returning to the Blues, Burstow became a regular scorer for Chelsea’s Under-23 side, netting 10 goals in 10 different Premier League 2 fixtures, recording a further four assists in 25 appearances. Also featuring a further four times in the EFL Trophy, Burstow netted a chipped finish in a 2-1 group stage win over Oxford United.
His form with Chelsea’s Under-23 side saw Burstow rewarded with a first-team debut at the beginning of last season. After being an unused substitute against Liverpool, Burstow replaced Malo Gusto in the 83rd minute away at West Ham United in the Premier League in August 2023. Featuring as a substitute again in England’s top flight in a 3-0 win over Luton Town, Burstow made his first start for the club in a 2-1 second-round win over AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.
On the 2023 summer transfer deadline day, the striker signed for Championship side Sunderland on a season-long loan deal. Making his debut in a 3-1 away win over Queens Park Rangers 15 days after signing, he recorded an assist in his fourth appearance in a 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
An unused substitute in both fixtures against the Tigers, Burstow’s only Sunderland goal came in January 2024 in a 3-1 home win over Stoke City. Featuring 20 times in total for Sunderland’s first team, Burstow also featured twice in Premier League 2 as their Under-21s reached the play-off final, which they lost 3-1 against Tottenham.
Internationally, the 21-year-old has been capped twice for England Under-20s in October 2023, featuring in two Under-20 Elite League group fixtures against Romania and Portugal.
