Dan Burn
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Newcastle United star Dan Burn has taken a significant step in prioritizing his mental well-being by stepping away from social media. The Blyth-born defender admitted that he found himself obsessively searching his own name after matches, which led to heightened anxiety. In a conversation with Alan Shearer as part of the Premier League’s Inside Matters initiative, Burn shared his experiences and urged the importance of regular mental health check-ins.
Dan Burn said: “It is huge and part of the reason I came off. That’s all you would fixate on. I know now it is very easy for me to say don’t go on social media but you don’t need to be on it. It is your family’s opinion that counts, your manager’s opinion, those are the direct ones. Everybody else’s shouldn’t really matter. What we need to be mindful of on social media is that a lot of it isn’t real. It can have a big effect on your mental health.”
Reflecting on his early career, Burn recounted his struggles during his time at Fulham, where he faced mental health battles despite being a Premier League footballer at the age of 21. He expressed gratitude for the support he received from Fulham, who facilitated meetings with counselors and therapists, highlighting the importance of accessible mental health resources in football.
Burn continued: “I was embarrassed. I had mental health battles. I asked myself ‘how can I be feeling like this, I am a Premier League footballer at 21’. But mental health does not discriminate and it affects everybody. Fulham were great with me and set up meetings with counsellors and therapists. Now if I sign for a new club you know that it is on offer and very accessible.”
Alan Shearer also shared his perspective, reflecting on the challenges he faced during his early career, particularly before Euro 96 when he endured a goal drought for England. Shearer acknowledged that the support available today could have been beneficial during his playing days.
Shearer added: “I guess when I look back on my career, I left Newcastle as a city to go to Southampton and the enormity of that is massive. What is available to you now and what everyone hopefully openly speaks about it didn’t happen then. That was a tough time for me. A tough time was also before Euro 96 when I hadn’t scored for England for two years. You can imagine the stick I got then, I was hoping and praying I’d score going into that tournament. If some of the help available now was there it could have helped me.”
In a related development, Burn’s Newcastle teammates Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall have also spoken out about mental health challenges. The former Southampton player, Livramento, reached out to Hall during his recovery from injuries, emphasizing the importance of support within the team. The Premier League is actively supporting mental health initiatives by funding Shout’s helpline services during weekends and Mental Health Awareness Week.
**Tags:** #NewcastleUnited, #MentalHealth, #PremierLeague, #PlayerInsight, #SocialMedia, #Anxiety, #Support
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