I am so proud of Dan Burn, absolutely buzzing for him.
Sunday night (Monday morning UK time) in the Azteca stadium and what an incredible moment in time.
If I feel like this about him, I can’t begin to imagine how Dan Burn himself and his family must be enjoying this.
The Big Lad From Blyth has been incredible for Newcastle United these past four and a half years and now he is doing the same for England.
Thomas Tuchel had made clear that his decisions on this England squad were all about those players who believe in the collective, not selfishly about themselves. Which clearly was a huge reason why somebody like Dan Burn made the squad and the likes of Harry Maguire didn’t.
The Geordie defender so genuine and even if he didn’t get on the pitch this tournament, he would never do anything other than trying to 100% help those on the pitch succeed.
I must admit that I had come to believe that the most likely (the only?) way Dan Burn was going to get World Cup minutes was if say England were goals down in a knockout match and Thomas Tuchel giving the United defender and maybe one or two others a few minutes once it was a hopeless cause and England already on their way out.
Instead, Dan Burn was called on in England’s greatest moment of need.
England 3-2 up but down to ten men and Mexico constantly attacking and around another half hour to survive including added time.
Thomas Tuchel switching to a back five, Dan Burn and Djed Spence on for Elliot Anderson and Nico O’Reilly.
The England boss declaring: “Why pick Dan Burn? What if 10 men have to defend a load of crosses for 30 minutes…?”
Dan Burn won every single aerial duel he contested against Mexico, he also made two blocks and six clearances. Opta reporting that six clearances is the most made by any player subbed on that late into a World Cup game since records began in 1966.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson telling BBC Sport: “Brilliant from Dan Burn, the big defender as brave as a lion.”
Dan Burn himself, speaking after the final whistle: “I don’t think I will ever forget this night…the stadium, the occasion, playing against Mexico, listening to the Mexican national anthem with 100,000 people, it was surreal. A crazy game and so just really, really proud of the lads. We knew it was going to be a challenge, we were a little bit the underdog, we rose to the challenge and we are delighted to get through. We have shown that we can win in lots of different ways. I think that sums up the character of the team, that is something we’ve been building for best part of a year and a half to two years and I think that came to the fore today. To a man, everyone was excellent, there were people dead on their feet at the end there. Lots of decisions went either way. I think it was a World Cup match that will go down in history.”
“Everything I’ve dreamt of.” 🦁❤️
Reaction from Dan Burn and Anthony Gordon ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/La82CxGX3W
— England (@England) July 6, 2026
Dan Burn adding: “I don’t know if we had planned for this scenario… but I knew that I was brought here for a certain reason. I wasn’t going to start but there would be opportunities where we need to see a game out, or go for a goal. I have been desperate to get on the pitch, I didn’t want to leave the World Cup without getting on. I am very proud to play for England at a World Cup, I never thought I would be saying that.”
I am smiling as I write this because that is Dan Burn for you. A brilliant person, a brilliant character, somebody who so deserved this moment.
He is inspirational.