Newly-crowned Newcastle United legend Dan BurnNewly-crowned Newcastle United legend Dan Burn
Newly-crowned Newcastle United legend Dan Burn | AFP via Getty Images
Newcastle United have a new favourite son: Dan Burn became a Geordie legend and should expect a call from across the pond.
Dan Burn, keep that phone fully charged because Hollywood could come calling any moment now.
The Geordie who did it the hard way. When, at age 11, Burn learned his future lay away from his boyhood club, not even his closest friend would have predicted an unprecedented life script.
He scored at Wembley again - 12 years after winning the League One play-off final at Yeovil. That may have been considered a meteoric rise itself given he earned his stripes at Blyth Spartans and Darlington. But this one meant so, so much more.
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When Kieran Trippier’s cross floated into the area before half-time, nobody rose higher than the 6ft 7in giant. A career of hardship and toil powered every ounce of that header.
A sea of black-and-white pandemonium emanated around Wembley and, after heartbreak in 1974, 1976, 1998, 1998 and 2023 - failing to score in four of those finals - it just had to be a Geordie producing the goods. Supporters may have tasted silverware when sipping their half-time pint, but the job was far from done.
This was Liverpool, after all, a team Newcastle had not beaten since 2015. But the party mode started to kick in when Alexander Isak calmed the nerves just seven minutes after the restart.
In true Newcastle fashion, there was one final twist in store. A lengthy VAR check in stoppage time gave Liverpool a lifeline. Was the post-match madness - now sweeping around London and the North East - set to be cancelled?
Absolutely not - and Burn was never going to let it happen. Clearances, blocks, headers - the Blyth native was going to do whatever it took to get Newcastle over the line.
His goal, however, will stand the test of time. Step aside, Rob Lee, as Burn broke a 25-year duck at English football’s greatest cathedral.
“I definitely dreamt about it last night,” Burn told NewcastleWorld post-match. “I slept a lot better than I was expecting to. You always dream about scoring at Wembley. I haven’t scored in a while, I must have been saving it for that. It was a perfect performance.”
And his story is far from complete. Another trip to Wembley awaits on Friday as England take on Albania. There would not be a critic in sight should Burn turn up worse for wear seeing he is now the talk of Tyneside right now, tomorrow and for the rest of his life.
However, the ultimate professional - Eddie Howe’s words, not mine - will be ready for war again. A maiden England bow and goal at Wembley to help Newcastle win silverware - has anyone enjoyed a better week?
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