Wesley Burns was born in Cardiff and came through the youth ranks at Bristol City after failing to earn a contract at Cardiff City's academy. He made his senior debut in January 2013 and spent several years developing through loan spells at Forest Green Rovers, Oxford United, Cheltenham Town, Fleetwood Town, and Aberdeen before joining Fleetwood Town permanently in January 2017.
After more than 150 appearances for Fleetwood, Burns joined Ipswich Town in June 2021. His first season at Portman Road proved to be a breakthrough campaign: he finished as the club's top scorer with 13 goals and 6 assists, earned the PFA Fans' League One Player of the Month award for January 2022, and was named in the EFL League One Team of the Season. He followed that up by contributing 8 goals and 11 assists as Ipswich won promotion from League One in 2022–23, and added an EFL Championship runner-up medal the following season.
A versatile, energetic wide player, Burns is most effective operating as a right winger or wing-back, using his directness and work rate to create and score goals in equal measure.
Burns made his senior international debut for Wales against Poland in the UEFA Nations League on 1 June 2022, having previously been called into the squad as far back as 2015. He has represented Wales at both under-21 and senior level.