Newcastle United veteran Dan Burn has five England caps to his name after debuting last March.
Dan Burn is well aware that this summer will be his only opportunity to play at a World Cup.
The 33-year-old lived every Newcastle United fans’ fantasy in reality last March. Selected for his maiden England call-up following a roller-coaster career, Burn broke the deadlock 48 hours later as the Magpies ended their 70-year domestic trophy curse at Wembley.
While Newcastle have failed to maintain those lofty heights domestically, Burn has kept his place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad. That is despite fierce competition from the likes of John Stones, Ezra Konsa and Trevor Chalobah.
Dan Burn dreaming about World Cup
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Toon veteran Burn has set his sights on representing England on the biggest stage of all. He said: “At this point, you've got to try and manifest it a little bit. I think you've got to have that in your head that that's what I'm aiming for and working towards.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I'm never, ever going to do this again. I'm not like Miles (Lewis-Skelly), who's 18 and probably going to play at four or five World Cups. It's either I play at this one, or I never play a World Cup again.”
‘I wasn’t nervous’ - Dan Burn
Burn also opened up about how he made a conscious effort to enjoy his England debut last year rather than be overawed by the occasion. He added: “I wasn't even nervous getting to any of the England games. To everybody else it's a big thing, but to me, I've just played the biggest game of my life. So, England is a bonus. I was never expecting this, so I was just enjoying it.
“It was strange anyway, being in and around that setup when you've wanted to do it your full career. I always thought that I could do it and had the ability to do it, I think there's players been in there that I could have played ahead of, but when you get to 32, you’re like ‘I probably don’t stand much of a chance here, do I?’”
Read More
Thomas Tuchel on Dan Burn
Following Burn’s call-up, Three Lions boss Tuchel praised the defender for his “solid attributes. He told reporters: "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.”d
Continue Reading