Dan Burn has revealed his dream of becoming a cup final hero for England, just as he was for Newcastle. The 34-year-old defender opened the scoring with a towering header at Wembley as Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 in the 2025 Carabao Cup final, ending the club's 70-year trophy drought.
World Cup Final Ambition
Now, Burn has set his sights on an even bigger stage: the World Cup final. "I'd love for it to be in a World Cup final, a last-minute winner, I would love that more than anything," he said. "But we will have to wait and see."
Despite being told by England manager Thomas Tuchel that he would not be in the starting XI for the tournament, Burn remains optimistic about his role. "Obviously, I want to play and I would love to start. But I also know that there could be a game where we're one nil up and where we need me to come on and see a game out," he explained.
Confidence from Big Goals
Burn's confidence stems from his knack for scoring important goals. "I've been lucky in the finals that I've played in or in big games, I have managed to score some big goals. That leads to confidence, knowing that I can if that's what I'm asked to do," he said. Joking about his technique, he added, "I know I don't get many goals, but I feel like the goals that I do get seem to be important."
Team Bonding and Preparation
Burn highlighted the team-building activities within the England squad, including basketball, backgammon, and a game called 'Werewolf,' where players guess who is lying. "The 'Werewolf' game does get heated, I have been watching a few of them to work out who the best liars are. The moments we are away from football really count," he said.
He also praised Jude Bellingham, noting that teammates can sense when the 22-year-old is "really on it," raising the performance level of the entire side. Burn added that England has players like Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers who can change a game from the bench.
Enjoying the Tournament
Reflecting on the World Cup experience, Burn said, "It has been an exciting tournament, there are games on all the time. Watching Messi rolling back the years, at his age — not sure if you can say that - you realise you are at a tournament with the best players in the world."
