Dan Burn has featured 33 times for Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League this term since arriving from Wigan Athletic, where he had returned on loan after his 2018 transfer. The defender has been a revelation at the Amex Stadium and earned praise from Sergio Aguero earlier on in this campaign when he epitomised the cliché ‘good touch for a big man’.
The towering defender is a devout Newcastle United fan, and he revealed the pain it caused him when the Magpies released him at the start of his career and how he turned down the opportunity to return to his boyhood club.
What did he say?
Speaking to SussexLive after the Seagull’s match against Newcastle, Burn said: “While I was a good footballer when I joined them [Newcastle United], as the two or three years went on, I declined quite rapidly.”
The 6’ 7” defender revealed: “My body shot up, and I didn’t really catch up with myself football-wise until I was 15 or 16. I was there from 11 to 13, but don’t remember much of my time, maybe I’ve blocked a lot of it out because it wasn’t a particularly good experience being let go by the club you support.”
“When I signed for Fulham, I was actually given the opportunity to go to Newcastle as well. I would have loved to play for Newcastle, but, at that age, at that time in my career, it was the best decision for me to get away from that goldfish bowl,” revealed the Seagulls defender.
Tough decision to make
It is understandable given his previous experience with the Magpies why Burn may have been hesitant to join the senior side of the club he supports. Fortunately for him, the decision to move to Fulham instead of Newcastle has paid dividends and now finds himself as a crucial member of Graham Potter’s squad.
Of Brighton’s outfield players only Lewis Dunk and Davy Propper have racked up more minutes in the top-flight than Burn’s 2791 in the Premier League this term. He has proven to be an incredibly handy defender recording two tackles per match and 3.5 clearances, coping well with the adjustment from the Championship.
Burn may be 28-years-old, but there still could be time yet for him to pull on the famous black and white shirt. Based on his performances this term, which have seen him record an average match rating of 6.89, Steve Bruce would probably be happy to have the defender amongst his squad.
