Dan Burn has admitted he went from devastation to delight in the space of days after shrugging off his England snub with a battling performance at Wembley. The Newcastle United defender collected his 12th cap and ended the night shaking hands with Luka Modric, having been called into the squad at short notice.
Burn told Chronicle Live exclusively: "Originally I didn't get called up - but I knew I would be on standby if there were any injuries. I told the manager if he ever needed me due to injuries, to give me a call. I didn't expect him to be ringing back the next day!"
A Night Among Legends
The 6ft 7in star was in the company of greatness as Harry Kane turned up with the Ballon d'Or, Peter Shilton presented the England skipper with his 126th record-breaking cap, and Prince William met the players. Burn, who has gone from Blyth Spartans to the Champions League, walked out on the pitch alone to gaze around the empty stadium before the match.
At 34, he said he wants to savour every moment: "Look, I'm 34 now and I'm not getting any younger; when you get to this stage, you never know when it's going to be your last camp. So I am just very happy to be here. Especially on a night like last night when Harry broke the record for appearances. We got to see the Ballon d'Or - and I know that is the closest I will get to seeing one!"
Reunion With Former Teammates
Burn was able to share the occasion with some of his best mates, including Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall and Elliot Anderson, who all played for England together at Wembley. Burn said: "It was a real throwback to be honest! What helped me was that I didn't have a lot of time to think about it. And having that past relationship with Lewis Hall, Elliot Anderson and Anthony Gordon really helped. It was good to play with Gordy again."
Burn, who was one of Newcastle's first signings after the 2021 takeover for £13million from Brighton & Hove Albion, added: "I then got the call on Sunday to come down; I was buzzing because I always said I wanted to be part of this for as long as possible. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I'm now going to try to make sure I don't get that call ever again!"
Injury Comeback and Looking Ahead
Burn admitted the match was an important 90 minutes in his legs after weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury on the eve of the season. He said: "Yes, it's been tough. Obviously, I wanted to start the season well, but I got an injury straight away, so it was a long seven weeks. I've said it before; I knew the season was going to be pretty inconsistent. We would like to be more consistent. I think as the season goes on, you will see we'll be more consistent with performances."
Reflecting on the win, he said: "Look, I know it wasn't a vintage performance, but we knew it was going to be like that. We knew they'd respond to losing 7-0. Remember, they are a very good team; I am just glad we have won and set up that final scenario with Spain on Sunday."
Burn, who has scored in Newcastle's first domestic trophy win in 70 years and been handed the club captaincy, said: "You're playing with the very elite of the players in this country. You've got to be on top of your game every single moment that you're out there training to stand a chance and get in the game. So, as I said, I love coming here, I love testing myself against the best players that we've got. Hopefully, there's a lot more to come."
