There weren’t many silver linings for Newcastle as they suffered a heavy defeat at Brentford before the international break.
However, from a neutral perspective, and perhaps even from his manager Eddie Howe’s point of view, Dan Burn’s reaction to his dismissal in the 73rd minute was one of them.
That may seem a strange thing to say considering the defender’s final challenge on Brentford winger Dango Ouattara cost his side a penalty and, more importantly, the match. Still, Burn’s dignified response to a moment of adversity was a reminder that he is a class act.
Despite the introduction this season of a rule that only allows captains to approach the referee about important decisions, whining and whining about perceived injustice remains a tiresomely familiar sight in the Premier League. So there was much to admire about Burn’s response to a second poor challenge on Ouattara in the space of a few minutes, a foul that earned the hosts a penalty and the Newcastle man a second yellow card.
Burn immediately knew he was wrong. Instead of protesting to Stuart Attwell, as is customary these days, he quickly nodded his approval and walked away. Burn behaves as he defends: without nonsense. It’s a refreshing quality and is undoubtedly one of the reasons, in addition to his qualities as a robust and reliable addition to the backline, that the 33-year-old remains in contention for a place in England’s World Cup squad next summer.
Just the kind of ‘good citizen’ England needs?
Thomas Tuchel has repeatedly spoken of the need for his players to be ‘good citizens’ who get along with everyone in the dressing room. That sense of camaraderie will be especially important among those not involved in the England first team, of whom Burn will most likely be one if he is selected.
No one wants to share a dining table, or even worse a room, with someone who is too fixated on their own situation to be a good teammate or contribute positively to the camp atmosphere. It is one of the reasons why the inclusion of Jude Bellingham in Tuchel’s plans cannot yet be taken for granted. The Real Madrid man’s frustration at being substituted against Albania last week was just the latest example of the kind of attitude Tuchel is keen to curb.
As far as Burn is concerned, the Germans have nothing to worry about on that point. The archetype of the proverbial gentle giant, the 6-foot-1 stopper combines a competitive spirit with a naturally down-to-earth nature. He eschews fancy hairstyles and elaborately groomed facial hair. His telephone number is still the same as when he was working in a supermarket as a 16-year-old and still nursing the disappointment of being released by Newcastle at the age of 11. Burn takes nothing for granted.
In short, Burn is exactly the type of player Tuchel wants in his squad. It’s ironic then that the biggest obstacle between the defender and a place on a plane to the US, Canada and Mexico next year is likely to be the very thing he does best: his football. Or, more specifically, his quality on the ball. Burn has played four of his five games for England so far, namely the home and away World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Albania; in each of those games he had the most touches.
On Sunday in Tirana, Burn had 114 touches and completed all but four of his 102 passes. These are impressive figures, until you consider that one of the missed passes almost allowed Albanian striker Arbër Hoxha to open the scoring. The concern is that opponents, hoping to cause such a mistake, will deliberately apply pressure in a way that allows Burn to get the ball, just as Manchester City did against Liverpool on the eve of the international break, when Ibrahima Konaté had more possession than was healthy for his team’s chances of success.
Dan Burn: ‘I feel like I’ve been doubted a lot during my career’
Only Tuchel can decide whether it is a weakness worrying enough to cost Burn his place alongside John Stones, Marc Guéhi and Ezri Konsa. Burn undoubtedly brings a lot to England. Although deployed by Tuchel in his natural position as a centre-back, the defender plays as a left-back for his club, offering another option in a hitherto problematic position. He is a leader. As his astonishing Champions League goal against Athletic Bilbao earlier this month showed, he is a force to be reckoned with in both boxes. And his passion for his country is undisputed.
“I feel like I’ve been doubted a lot throughout my career,” Burn said when he was first drafted in March. ‘There aren’t many people there [his first senior club] Darlington, who would say I would be holding an England press conference here. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
“Every little kid’s dream is to play in a World Cup. I had never played international football before and I thought at the age of 32 it had passed us by. But when the new manager came in I got the feeling that you never know.”
And if things don’t work out as Burn hopes? Don’t expect anything more controversial than a polite nod of acknowledgment.
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