 He made his Leicester debut in the Football League on 15 September 1952 in the Second Division match away to West Ham United, and played twice more, in the 1955–56 season, before moving on to fellow Second Division club Middlesbrough in 1956.He made his debut in a 3–1 win against Port Vale on 6 October, and in his sixth match, against Nottingham Forest, created the second goal of Brian Clough's first senior hat-trick.Burbeck remained in the starting eleven for 54 consecutive matches in all competitions, making way in December 1957 for the debut of future England international Eddie Holliday.