Dan Burn has told the club’s website that non-league football helped him become the player he is today. The 29-year-old defender was released by Newcastle as an 11-year-old and had to earn his stripes the hard way, making his name at Blyth Spartans – his local team – before moving onto Darlington at 16. He worked his way up the football pyramid and is now living the dream at Newcastle in the Premier League.
Dan Burn said: “Everything I’ve done throughout my career has led up to this point. From being a kid, going into the men’s game, and realising people are playing for mortgages, bills and stuff – it’s really important. For fans who have been part of teams relegated, where people are losing jobs around the training ground, you don’t realise how much of an effect you out there can have on the club, the city and the staff.”