Asked if his leadership qualities would prompt him to have a go at new England team-mates Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham if he thought it was needed, Dan Burn gave an honest response
Wembley winner and England new boy Dan Burn has spent the past few days pinching himself to make sure the latest chapters in his football career are true. But that won’t mean he will be reluctant to get vocal with his big-name international team-mates.
Asked if his leadership qualities would prompt him to have a go at Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham if he thought it was needed, Burn smiled: “Absolutely. I’ve got no problem with that.” And Burn gave a fascinating insight into how he has built up those leadership qualities. The 32-year-old Newcastle United defender explained: “Sometimes, people don’t want to speak up because they find it a bit embarrassing and stuff.
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“I love the NFL and I feel like they’re really good at it. They are just not bothered. If they feel something is going to help the group they’ll just get up and say it. I feel that’s something probably English football in general could learn from.
“We do a thing in Newcastle called ‘timeline’, where you’ve got to stand up and speak for 10 minutes about anything but it tends to be about people’s careers and where they’ve come from. You see what they’ve been through to get to this position. I feel it really gives you a different perspective on each other and brings us closer together.”
And going into further detail about Tuchel’s opening address, Burn said the new boss was big on camaraderie, explaining: “There was more about brotherhood, more about a mentality and how he wanted us to act around each other.” But while Burn was happy to expand on what he can bring to the group off the pitch, he was also keen to stress that he has not just been called up for his character.
He declared: “I’m not just coming in to be a cheerleader and help the boys out. I want to play. I have played full-back, left of a three and centre-back and I’ve done the same at Newcastle.
“To be honest, I just want to contribute wherever I can, I couldn’t care less where I’m playing. If I can get a game, I’ll play right wing if it gets me on the pitch. I feel like I’ve got the ability to play at international level, and I’ve said it for a long time.
“I know what I’m good at and I’m only interested in the opinions of people who matter. I feel I have been doubted a lot throughout my career. I think it has just made me more resilient. I feel very confident in my ability. I deserve to be here.”
In fact, Burn believes Gareth Southgate ’s sense of loyalty worked against him. He went on: “I think I have been overlooked but I understood it. What Gareth did in bringing England from where it was to be regularly competing in finals showed that his method was very good.
“In my opinion, he treated it more like a club. It wasn’t like it was back in the day when whoever was playing consistently well was called up – it was more about that togetherness, which was brilliant, but it worked against me a little bit.
“So when the new manager came in, it was a clean slate. But when you have been passed over for so many international breaks, you tend to accept that the time has passed. But luckily the new manager has taken that chance on me and I just want to grasp that opportunity.”
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