1956 Born December 16 in Glasgow.
1973 Signs for Celtic and turns professional a year later after
a spell at Maryhill Juniors.
1975 Makes his debut as a substitute against Dundee United. Goes on to play a total of 352 league appearances, scoring 52 goals.
He also made 43 Scottish Cup appearances, scoring 12 times, and 71 League Cup appearances, scoring 15. Won six Premier League medals, three Scottish Cup medals and one League Cup medal, including the famous Centenary Double in 1988.
1981 Earns his first cap for Scotland against Northern Ireland. Goes on to make a total of eight appearances for his country.
1989 Signed by Jim Fleeting for Kilmarnock, then in the second division, aged 32 and makes a further 151 appearances, scoring 16 goals. Helps take them up to the first division in his debut season.
1992 Becomes player-manager at Rugby Park and helps the club win promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge. Keeps Kilmarnock in the top flight by earning a goalless draw on the last day of the 1993/94 season.
1994 Makes controversial return
to Celtic as manager. Club are
later fined £100,000 by the SFA for 'tapping' Burns while still manager at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock retain his registration, effectively bringing his playing career to an end. Takes Celtic to Coca-Cola Cup Final but loses on penalties to Raith Rovers.
1995 Wins the Scottish Cup with
a 1-0 win over Airdrieonians, Celtic's first trophy in six years.
1996 Celtic lose just one league match all season but are still pipped to the title by Rangers.
1997 Loses four Old Firm matches as Rangers win nine-in-a-row.
Is sacked by Celtic and moves to Newcastle United to assist Kenny Dalglish as coach.
1998 Leaves St James' Park when Dalglish is sacked. Becomes manager of Reading.
1999 Sacked at Reading at the start of the 1999/2000 season.
2000 Returns to Parkhead to
assist Dalglish following the dismissal of John Barnes as manager. Moves into youth development following the appointment of Martin O'Neill.
2002 Becomes assistant to new Scotland manager, Berti Vogts on
a part-time basis while continuing his work with Celtic.
2004 Vogts resigns but Burns
stays with the SFA and is appointed caretaker manager for a friendly match against Sweden that Scotland lost 4-1. Walter Smith
is appointed as Vogts' successor and retains Burns as his assistant.
2005 Gordon Strachan succeeds O'Neill as Celtic manager and hands Burns the position of first-team coach at Parkhead.
2006 Receives treatment for melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Later has two lumps removed from his leg.
2007 Resigns as Scotland assistant manager after Smith stands down and he is not considered for the job as manager. Alex McLeish instead gets the job.
2008 Overlooked again as the
SFA appoint George Burley as McLeish's replacement. Celtic announce that he requires treatment once more for cancer. May 15 Dies at home aged 51.
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