Newcastle United midfielder Dan Burn knows his career hasn't always gone in the right direction. But at 32, things are suddenly looking up for the defender, who could make his England debut on Friday.
Five days ago, Burn received a call from new England coach Thomas Tuchel, who informed him that he was part of the team for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, which are taking place at Wembley.
Burnley's beautiful header on Sunday paved the way for Newcastle to win their first domestic trophy in 70 years. Newcastle United beat Liverpool 2-1 in the League Cup final. For the now England international, it was his first goal of the season.
On Tuesday, everyone at England's training ground wanted to speak to the defender with an atypical career.
"I've had worse weeks," Burn told reporters.
"When it was six o'clock on Thursday evening and I hadn't heard anything, I told my wife that I thought nothing would happen. Then I got a message saying 'am I still awake?'. Tuchel told me that he had called everyone who didn't make it to the team, so I thought again that I hadn't made it. But then he said that he wanted to end the day in a good mood and that he wanted me in the team."
Burn's call-up to England is a continuation of a pleasant dream for a boy who went through the "school" of the hard way.
Born in Blyth, near Newcastle, the defender began his career at Blyth Spartans. He then moved to Darlington. He spent five years at Fulham, including loan spells at Yeovil Town and Birmingham City, but was released in 2016. After a spell at Wigan Athletic, he caught the eye of Brighton. Having established himself as a Premier League defender, his beloved club Newcastle United were alerted in January 2022. They paid £13m to bring him home.
Contributing to the League Cup triumph has cemented Burn's name in club folklore, but he is now aiming even higher - next year's World Cup finals.
"I didn't come as a fan, I want to play. I want to impress as much as possible and secure an invitation to the next camp. Obviously every kid dreams of playing in the World Cup. So to know that I could have that opportunity is special. When you go through so many internationals, you kind of accept that time has passed. But luckily the new coach has given me a chance," says Dan Burn.
He has played in various defensive positions throughout his career. He has played left-back, but has said he would also play right-back just to be on the field.
But it was his performances as a centre-back that secured him a place in England. He is known for his powerful performances and tough tackles, and his teammates on the national team have already spoken about this.
"I remember hitting Jared Bowen badly when he was at West Ham United and I immediately went to apologize to him," Burn said, adding that the many moves in his career have made him more flexible.
"I know what I'm good at and the only opinions that matter to me are those of Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and the England manager. There's been a lot of doubt about me throughout my career. I don't think many people who have seen me play for Darlington would say I'd be sitting here at an England conference."
The England – Albania match takes place on Friday at Wembley.
