Newcastle star Dan Burn is hoping for another cameo role against Argentina tomorrow night
Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford and Dan Burn celebrate after England's 2-1 victory over Norway
Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford and Dan Burn celebrate after England's 2-1 victory over Norway
View Image
Newcastle United star Dan Burn hopes that England's "horrific" weather experiences are behind them ahead of the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta against world champions Argentina.
The humidity in Miami Gardens on Saturday night against Norway made it feel like 42 degrees as England were made to suffer in the last eight clash. Burn watched on from the bench until the 111th minute mark when he came on to help the Three Lions scrape into their first semi-final since 2018.
England fans were arriving into Georgia with Atlanta not having the nickname "Hotlanta" for nothing, but the stadium conditions promise to be different.
They will be pleasant in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Arena in comparison with the 75,000 capacity stadium, which comes complete with air conditioning, making life bearable for the players.
Burn is eager to be involved again after his two cameo appearances in the tournament so far have been crucial.
Burn told Chronicle Live from the US: "Listen, I was desperate to get on. I knew it was probably going to be the type of game I would come on in. I just have to come on and help the team.
"When the final whistle sounded it was just a feeling of pure relief, it was a tough game for both teams, playing 120 minutes in that heat is horrific.
"I can understand why the game wasn't at the highest quality people would have wanted."
England have made it to the semi-finals with grit and determination, with Burn epitomising that spirit for Thomas Tuchel's men. Burn feels that the Three Lions will only get better as the tournament progresses and that Tuchel's side may be picking up form at just the right time.
Burn said: "We did not reach the performance levels that we wanted to, I think the heat probably paid a big part in that.
"The good thing is we are winning and finding different ways to win.
"And it is exciting knowing that if we do reach the potential we can we can do something special, with two games to go we feel we can do that."
Burn celebrated the win over Norway like a player living the dream as he hugged Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham at the end of extra time in Florida.
The centre-back said: "You can talk about brotherhood and character a lot.
"But until you actually see it on the pitch, it is hard to believe it, but we have shown it in the last two games when we are not playing very well. It shows the way we got through the last two games."
As the players left the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night, Burn found himself at the centre of attention of the world's media as they grappled to get a word with the 6ft 7in Geordie!
Burn's presence in the tournament was there for the world to see at Estadio Azteca when he came on as a substitute and made eight defensive contributions in 15 minutes.
He was still being asked about it on Saturday as journalists from Mexico, Nigeria, the US, India and Portugal were desperate to get a word with the big man.
Burn said: "Mexico was amazing, I loved every minute, playing there was special at such an iconic stadium, it is a moment I will remember forever."
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.