Burns gained a teaching degree from the De La Salle College of Education at Hopwood Hall in Middleton, Greater Manchester.
On 10 June 1972, Burns scored four goals in a Blackpool's 10–0 win over Lanerossi Vicenza in the Anglo-Italian Cup, en route to an unsuccessful defence of their title in the final against Roma.
He was unpopular with a section of the home fans, who regarded his playing style as too individualistic,[3] and in the summer of 1974, he asked for a transfer.
After four years at St James' Park, Burns had a short spell at Cardiff City as a player-coach but he never settled at the club and was allowed to return to the North East to close out his career with Middlesbrough.
Burns was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006.