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Thomas Tuchel has admitted to being blown away by Dan Burn while handing him his first England call-up.
A surprise inclusion in the German’s first Three Lions squad saw Burn - who turns 33 in May - named for upcoming games against Albania and Latvia. He has been named alongside Newcastle United teammates Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon.
Burn could now be set to play at Wembley twice in a week as England face Albania next Friday - six days after the Carabao Cup final. Newcastle travel to the capital this weekend looking to end 70 years of trophy hurt, with Liverpool the opponents.
Any post-match celebrations for Burn will be placed on pause as he must immediately link up with the rest of Tuchel’s setup. A less-travelled road has seen the 6ft 7in defender rise from lower-league ranks at Blyth Spartans and Darlington to the pinnacle of English football.
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"He has had a very impressive career and he’s a very solid player. He’s a very solid defender and a leader in the group. I have spoken to Dan and it was a very impressive phone call with very impressive messages that made me very comfortable in this call-up that we have picked a top team player that will help us build the right team.
“International football is about team spirit. It is about building a brotherhood. I was surprised that Dan was never called up. He’s such a tall guy but, obviously, it must be easy to overlook him! It almost happened to me. When you see the reaction from Dan, you instantly know you picked the right guy.”
Eddie Howe also hailed Dan Burn for incredible footballing journey
Eddie Howe, unsurprisingly, was full of plaudits for one of his trusted lieutenants. The Toomn boss made Burn his fifth Newcastle signing during the hectic first window under Saudi-backed ownership in January 2021.
“Yeah, (it is an) incredible moment for Dan and I have to say there's no one more deserving in my opinion,” he told reporters earlier today. Starting to work with Dan when we did and came in obviously during our relegation battle, just such an inspiring guy but also a very talented player and I think it's a great story really, one of the great football stories, one of the great comebacks.
“Someone who had to do it the real hard way, coming through the leagues, a dedicated professional, a leader, a real man, an inspirational figure. He is the model pro really.
“He's so committed to what he does and I think he's had to be. “His character is so stable, so level that he takes every challenge and every potential negative in his stride and comes back stronger and I'm so pleased for him on a personal level because he thoroughly deserved it.”
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