Newcastle's Dan Burn during England's clash against Albania.
Newcastle's Dan Burn during England's clash against Albania.
Dan Burn soaked up the applause at Wembley for the second time in a week as he made a solid England debut.
Remarkably, he managed 153 touches, as he also made 137 passes on his Three Lions bow - which was the most of any player in white against Albania. Just 55 days ago, Dan Burn told reporters that his window of opportunity with England - for all he craved it - may have passed him by.
And who could blame in? The ever-popular Blyth lad has been in the form of his life, but everything about his call-up for the Three Lions before the Carabao Cup final felt right. The 6ft 7in defender after all has been in the form of his life with Newcastle and he went into the Wembley showpiece against Liverpool with his confidence bubbling away nicely.
That was before he powered home a header against the Reds on Sunday. It had been after another barnstorming performance at Southampton back in January when he was asked if his England opportunity had passed him by. A Wembley goal, freedom of Northumberland and and his England debut, all in the space of a week!
Burn has never looked out of place in the England set-up from the moment that he joined up and zipped up that Three Lions tracksuit to when he stepped on to the hallowed turf at Wembley again, casually chatting with Harry Kane ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Albania.
During the national anthem, Burn's shoulders swayed the rhythm of God Save the King. It felt a far-cry from a flat World Cup qualifier.
Once the action started, Burn enjoyed a few nice early touches while pointing and guiding this team like someone who has been in the England side for years rather than the Three Lions' oldest debutant since 2010. He had enjoyed more than 50 touches of the ball with just 20 minutes on the clock.
He started the move that led to Myles Lewis-Skelly's goal and was in the posse of England stars to congratulate him with a; "Well done mate". Burn tapped it to Ezri Konsa, before Jude Bellingham sliced open Albania's defence and the Arsenal star scored on his England debut!
But Burn was on defensive duty on 27 minutes when his clearance ended up clipping his own bar before he swept up the danger during a nervous moment. Just five minutes before half-time Kane, then Bellingham, forced a corner and from it, as Declan Rice swung it in, Burn saw a header deflected wide!
Moments later Burn connected yet again, but this time his header slammed against the crossbar with Thomas Strakosha left flapping. The second half started with the Newcastle star making his presence felt again when a hooked clearance saw his knee connect with Myrto Uzuni.
The former Darlington and Birmingham City defender continued to marshal the England defence - and ticked over 100 touches and 100 passes before the hour-mark. In fairness, Burn did show signs of tiring as the second half went past the mid-way point and Albania got it in a couple of times.
Fatigue, just days after Newcastle's cup win, was inevitable, but he got a second wind and played out the full 90 minutes.
As his Newcastle team-mate Anthony Gordon entered the fray with 16 minutes left, England were presented with another corner, at the same end Burn scored against Liverpool but it floated beyond him. Moments later the game was made safe thanks to Kane as he struck one on the turn and calmly guided it into the bottom corner after Rice's cross with 13 minutes to go.
However, this was a night that Burn will remember forever. A quick wave to his family in the corner of the ground followed the final whistle but he already seems part of the furniture with England.
Burn to lift the World Cup in New Jersey next summer with England? After this week, anything seems feasible in the world of Big Dan Burn. The Wembley arch sadly wasn't illuminated green and white in Blyth Spartans' colours, but you can't have it all can you?
Attendance: 82,378
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez (Spain)