The impact Dan Burn has had on Newcastle United since his £13million return is incredible. A boyhood dream was fulfilled when the Blyth-born defender put in a match of the match performance on his debut to help Newcastle grind out a vital 1-0 victory against Aston Villa.
Another excellent showing against West Ham had Toon fans drawing parallels with Brian ‘Killer’ Kilcline - the defender who arrived at St James’ Park to shore up a leaky backline under Kevin Keegan in the early 90s. A hat-trick of flawless showings was completed last weekend when Burn - who was released by the Magpies as an 11-year-old - contributed towards another clean sheet, meaning Newcastle have conceded just once in his three outings.
By contrast, Brighton have capitulated at the back since offloading the 29-year-old to his boyhood club in January. Graham Potter’s men have conceded 12 goals in five goals without him, a testament to the rock-solid capabilities of Newcastle’s new cult hero.
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It was not an easy route for Burn to the Premier League, with spells at Blyth Spartans and Darlington validating the fact that he had to get here the hard way. Richard Mills, the Brighton writer for SussexLive, was keen to give Newcastle fans a better insight into the career of the 6ft 7in defender…
Q: Burn arrived at Brighton from Wigan, how did he fare when he first came in? Was his loan back to the Latics beneficial?
A: “He only played three times for Brighton in the second half of that season as Brighton boss at the time, Chris Hughton, saw him as a fringe option.
“Burn was particularly disappointed not to play in Albion's FA Cup semi-final vs Man City.
“He actually thought his move to Brighton would be scuppered as he broke his foot a day or so after signing from Wigan. But he did his rehab, got some more game time for the Latics and was then a Premier League player once again.”
Q: How did he fare under Graham Potter?
A: “When Potter came in, it was a massive boost for Burn. In his 85 appearances for the club, he started 79 of them, which shows he was an important player under the former Swansea City boss.
“This quote from him just about sums up his appreciation to Potter: ‘Since the new manager (Potter) came in it worked out well for me. I don't think I would have played these number of games had Chris Hughton still been here. I would have struggled to come in and cement a place in the team. I knew from day one that it was going to be different. Graham had a meeting with the lads, sat us down, and told us the past was past and we just had to go out and prove we could play.’”
Q: Are there any particular standout moments from Burn's time at Brighton?
A: “His goal against Manchester City when Brighton came from 2-0 down against the 10-men Premier League Champions-elect to bundle home a finish and complete a 3-2 turnaround.
“That and his terrific form in the final two months of his time with the Seagulls. He was voted Brighton's player of the month for January and he's continued that form at Newcastle.
Q: What was the general consensus among fans when he left for Newcastle?
A: “I think for a long time a lot of Brighton fans thought he was, arguably, not good enough at Premier League level. His dedication and attitude were never in doubt but many questioned his quality.
“He was firmly behind Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster, Joel Veltman, and Ben White in defence last season. Even after White's exit, it looked like he would be a backup option to Shane Duffy following his superb start to the season.
“But, as he said before, he likes to prove people wrong and he has done that at Brighton. By the end, many feel it was a mistake to sell Burn, or at least unwise to sell him without finding a replacement."
Q: Brighton have struggled since he left, is it a coincidence or are they missing someone of his ilk?
A: “Burn was in the form of his life when he left and that, unfortunately for Brighton, coincided with Lewis Dunk struggling to get back to his best after a knee injury, their best defender this season in Adam Webster suffering a groin problem, and a general bad run of form from the team as a whole.
“But they are still 10th in the Premier League and on course to have their best-ever season there. So, a mixture of bad luck and poor timing.”
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