Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has had a great month, helping the Magpies win the Carabao Cup before making his England debut.
Burn scored the opener in Newcastle’s encounter with Liverpool, paving the way for a 2-1 win which gave the Magpies their first trophy since the 1960s.
Indeed, Micah Richards said Burn’s performance against Liverpool was one of the best he’s ever seen.
The following week, Burn linked up with the England camp ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
New England manager Thomas Tuchel handed the Newcastle star his debut, naming him in the starting XI against Albania.
A number of fans watching the game made a similar observation as they watched Burn in action against the side ranked 65th in the world.
Fans concerned over how Dan Burn struggled against Armando Broja
Although fans were pleased with Burn in terms of his great story and wonderful month, they didn’t feel he had a great debut.
They pointed to how Armando Broja gave the Newcastle man a hard time after he came on.
One fan said on X: “Dan Burn has been shocking in the second half.
“Adrenaline got him through the first, it seems. If Broja is running off you and beating you in the air, then have a re-think.”
Another wrote: “Burn is being found wanting since Broja’s introduction. He’s struggling now.”
The concerns kept coming, with one fan saying: “Dan Burn likeable guy but Broja has come off the bench and picked him out and has him on toast here.
“Can’t see that running at World Cup level honestly.”
Another wrote: “Broja has been schooling Dan Burn a bit here.”
Another said: “He’s had a great week fair play to him but can we let this Burn experiment end early? Been rag-dolled by Broja since he came on.”
How Dan Burn fared for England against Albania
Admittedly, Burn did have some shaky moments against Broja, but he played well for the most part and clocked up some impressive stats on the night.
For instance, he weighed in with seven clearances, two tackles and one block, won six duels, and was very accurate with his passing.
| Dan Burn stats v Albania | |
| Clearances | 7 |
| Blocked shots | 1 |
| Total tackles | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 2 |
| Ground duels (won) | 5 (2) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 6 (4) |
| Possession lost | 3 |
| Fouls | 1 |
| Touches | 153 |
| Accurate passes | 135/137 (99%) |
| Long balls (acc.) | 3 (3) |
| Shots on target | 0 |
| Shots off target | 1 |
| Shots blocked | 2 |
Burn also tried his luck with three efforts and was successful with all three of his long balls.
However, he was also dribbled past twice and lost possession three times, so there’s definitely some work to do.
Nonetheless, Burn was making his debut for England, and teething errors aren’t particularly unusual for most players in that situation.
The Newcastle star will have time to learn and get things at international level before the 2026 World Cup comes around.
