Soccer-England's unlikely lad Burn setting sights on World Cup

LONDON (Reuters) - Newcastle United's Dan Burn knows his career has not been a 'straight line' but at the age of 32 everything is suddenly falling into place for the towering defender who on Friday could earn a belated first England cap.

Five days ago he took a call from new England manager Thomas Tuchel who informed him he was part of his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley.

On Sunday Burn's majestic header, his first goal of the season, paved the way for Newcastle's first domestic trophy for 70 years, a 2-1 League Cup final win over Liverpool.

So on Tuesday he was the man everyone wanted to talk to at England's St George's Park headquarters.

"I've had worse weeks," Burn told reporters. "When it got to 6 o'clock Thursday night and I'd not heard anything, I said to my wife, 'I don't think anything's going to happen, then I got a text saying, 'Are you still awake?'."

"(Tuchel) said that he just had been ringing everyone who hadn't made the squad, so again I didn't think I was making it. But then he said he just needed to end the day on a good note, and that he wanted me in the squad."

Burn's call-up continues a heart-warming tale of a player who learnt in the school of hard knocks.

Born in Blyth, down the road from Newcastle, Burn's career began at Blyth Spartans before a move to Darlington. He spent years five at Fulham, included loans at Yeovil Town and Birmingham City, but was released in 2016.

After a spell at Wigan Athletic, his versatility attracted Brighton & Hove Albion and, after establishing himself as a Premier League defender, his beloved Newcastle came knocking in January 2022, paying 13 million pounds ($16.86 million) to take him 'home'.

FOLK HERO

Burn's role in Newcastle's League Cup triumph has cemented him in the club's folklore but he is now setting his sights even higher -- next year's World Cup finals.

"I'm not just coming in as a cheerleader, I want to play," Burn told reporters. "I want to make as big of an impression as I can and then just try and make the next camp. But obviously, every little kid's dream is to play in a World Cup.

"So to know that I've got that opportunity, if I take it, it's special. When you've been passed up over so many international breaks you sort of accept that time's passed but luckily the new manager has taken a chance on me."

The six-foot-six Burn has played in various defensive roles throughout his career, including left back, and said he would even play right wing to get on the pitch.

But it is as a rugged centre back that he has made his mark, as some of his new England team mates reminded him on Monday.

"I remember I absolutely smashed Jared (Bowen) when he was at West Ham, and straight away I went to apologise," Burn said, adding that his journeyed career had made him more resilient.

"I know what I'm good at, and the only opinion that matters to me is (Newcastle boss) Eddie Howe's and the managers," he said.

"I've been doubted a lot over my career. I think not many people who watched me play at Darlington would have said I'll be sat here doing a press conference for England.

"But I feel like I deserve to be here."

($1 = 0.7710 pounds)

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)