Few footballers are as intrinsically associated with their hometown as Dan Burn but, if only for a day or two, the boy from Blyth had a taste of what it is like to be American. The giant from the north-east might have been the biggest cowboy in the Midwest; or the tallest, anyway.
Burn is 34, probably at his only World Cup and determined to savour it. He has had a bit of downtime between England’s win over Croatia and their clash with Ghana. A man who spent the last World Cup in an Airbnb in Newcastle, while his house was being renovated, has found a different way to occupy himself now. Along with Harry Kane and Djed Spence, he went to watch the Kansas City Royals, seeing manager Thomas Tuchel throw the ceremonial first pitch in their game against the St Louis Cardinals.
Burn has gone even more native than that. “Last night Ella Langley was playing so I had my cowboy hat and cowboy boots on,” said the centre-back. “I went and got kitted out. I thought if you were going to do it, do it properly. Luckily, there’s no photos flying about.”
Others may consider that a shame; an image of Burn in a Stetson could have been iconic. He had his captain and goalkeeper Jason Steele for company at a gig. Some of Kane’s American influences are well known, and the forward is looking forward to heading to Boston, to the stadium where Tom Brady picked out many a pass as the quarterback for the New England Patriots. But, Burn revealed, Kane is also a fan of one of the most American genres of music. “We have a record player in the hotel and he did a captain’s pick and there was a lot of country in it,” he said. “We got asked to go and watch Ella Langley.”
Sadly Kane did not share Burn’s sartorial sense on a night out. “I was the only person suited and booted with cowboy hat and boots and all the lot,” said the defender. “We missed the last three songs because we had to be back for curfew which I was a bit gutted about because they are her three best ones.”
If nothing else, it proves at least one England international who plays for a north-east club has abided by curfews of late. It may be damning Burn with faint praise, though, to suggest that one of the reasons Tuchel took him was because he was sure to prove a good tourist. Yet Burn’s good humour forms part of his appeal. So does his realism. He wants to play but knows his role. Tuchel clearly enjoys his company but has also showed an honesty.
“He takes the mick out of me but I like it,” said Burn. “When he called me up, he said I probably wouldn’t be starting.” Without entering the fray, Burn witnessed Tuchel’s transformative team-talk after 45 minutes against Croatia. “People have said he gave us a rocket but it was the opposite,” he said. He missed Anthony Barry’s revelatory interview with ITV at the break but has known Tuchel’s assistant for longer than most. They were together at Wigan and Burn said: “There’s no grey areas with Baz and the manager. They are not going to beat around the bush.”
Tuchel’s clarity as a communicator means he has told Burn the kind of situations when he could be called upon, allowing the defender to visualise them. One is if England need a goal, when they could summon a sizeable figure for his ability at set-pieces. Burn scored the goal that won Newcastle their first major trophy since 1969. It allowed him to imagine becoming the man who brings England glory.
Kane may be a likelier candidate but Burn deadpanned: “Me and Harry are quite similar in our technique and goalscoring prowess, so it is only natural we are compared. In all seriousness, I know I don’t get many goals but the goals I do get tend to be important. I’d love it to be a World Cup final winner, last minute.”
Even before then and even without taking the field, his World Cup has brought memorable moments, some of them musical, some from country stars and some alongside his country’s stars. The England fans belted out Oasis’ Wonderwall after Croatia were beaten in Dallas. Burn enjoyed it. “Wonderwall was an amazing moment, a special moment,” he said. “If that’s every game it’s going to be amazing.”
