Roy Keane praised Newcastle United captain Dan Burn after his performance at Wembley helped England secure a 1-0 win over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League. The victory confirmed England's place in the knockout stages of the competition next spring.
Burn, who was a late call-up to Thomas Tuchel's squad, started ahead of Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite in a defence that was assembled at short notice. His organisational skills proved important as Croatia threatened to leave Wembley with a draw.
Keane's Verdict on Burn
Speaking to ITV, Keane said: "Dan Burn is very good at getting his both boxes. The defence was thrown together and there was a little bit of panic but they got the job done."
Keane did not hold back in his criticism of the Croatia goal but felt that Jarell Quansah and Trent Alexander-Arnold were at fault ahead of the 6ft 7in Toon star. Burn's performance has strengthened his case for a start against Spain in Madrid on Sunday.
Burn's Spa Weekend Plans
Burn had initially been overlooked for Tuchel's squad, leading him to make other plans. On Friday, the World Cup star discovered he had been left out until a spate of withdrawals saw Tuchel make a U-turn with a phone call on Sunday.
Burn had planned a weekend of relaxation with his partner and said at Wembley: "I had a spa weekend with my wife so she was a little bit disappointed. But there will be plenty of time for that in the future."
Burn had also told Chronicle Live: "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!"
Hall's Rising Stock
Lewis Hall, who now has eight caps for England, proved last night that the number 3 shirt is his to lose at Wembley. His performances at international level have placed him firmly on the world map, with top clubs taking a look.
There is good and bad news for Newcastle in that regard, but the positive is that United tied him down to a long-term deal and the defender is happy to stay as long as United manage to match his ambition. Hall is in a direct battle with Inter Milan's Djed Spence and Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly but should start in Madrid on Sunday. His current value is soaring beyond the £70 million mark.
