Dan Burn has paid tribute to the late Kevin Keegan ahead of Newcastle United vs Liverpool.
Amid a turbulent summer, Newcastle was very much United after the tragic loss of a true footballing legend. Kevin Keegan’s passing last month inspired a wave of tributes at St James' Park.
Thousands of Toon fans eulogised the man who shaped the Premier League powerhouse that sits on Barrack Road today. And a coincidence from the footballing gods sees Newcastle and Liverpool - the two clubs where Keegan holds legendary status - meet on the opening day.
It promises to be an emotional occasion ahead of kick-off as Tyneside and Merseyside pay respects to a king. As new club captain and boyhood fan, Burn is fully aware of how much Keegan meant to the region.
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‘An amazing occasion’ - Dan Burn
“It is very, very sad what happened, very sad for his family and his wife Jean,” he told The Gazette. “I went down to see him at the end of May. He invited us down to go down and have lunch with him. So it was amazing to meet him - he was a great person.
“I think people say don't meet your heroes but he was just such a great guy. He was wanting to know about me and my family, just full of stories and a great person to be around. It was a shock when that happened in the summer.
“I know that it's going to be an amazing occasion for both the Newcastle and the Liverpool fans. Hopefully us as a club will… not celebrate that, but do it (pay respects) properly and give them (Keegan’s family) at the club to remember them by.”
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Dan Burn on Alexander Isak
On the opposite end of the emotion spectrum, Alexander Isak’s return will undoubtedly be met with hostility. The Swede burned all bridges at Newcastle by going on strike to force through a British record move to Liverpool last summer.
Burn believes it would be foolish to focus solely on his former teammate but backed Toon fans to make life difficult for Isak. He added: “Obviously, a lot of things happened with the Alex transfer - the fans don't need motivation for that. But I think if you're only concentrating on Alex we're making a mistake.
“Liverpool are a very good team, a team that we've not managed to beat in the league yet. That we want to change. But it's a very exciting game at the start of the season. As I said, they're always the best games against Liverpool at home, so I'm looking forward to it.”