Dan Burn England call-up: Eddie Howe says it’s ‘one of the great stories’

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has described Dan Burn’s call-up to the England squad as “one of the great stories” and hailed the defender as a “real man”.

The 32-year-old was one of several surprise inclusions from new England head coach Thomas Tuchel this morning having established himself as a regular in a Newcastle side that meets Liverpool in Sunday’s EFL Cup final.

It’s time to reveal Thomas Tuchel’s first #ThreeLions squad! 👀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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And Howe believes his is a worthy inclusion.

He said of Burn: “Yeah, incredible moment for Dan – and I have to say there’s no one more deserving in my opinion.

“Such an inspiring guy and a talented player, it is a great football story. Dan has had to do it the hard way coming through the leagues. He is the model professional; he is so committed to what he does. His character is so stable and so level, I am so pleased for him on a personal level.

“We started to work with Dan when we did and came in obviously during our relegation battle, just such an inspiring lad, but also a very talented player.

“I think it’s a great story really, one of the great stories, one of the great comebacks. A dedicated professional, a leader, a real man.”

Eddie Howe on Dan Burn’s England call-up:

“Incredible moment for Dan, there is no one more deserving in my opinion. Such an inspiring guy and a talented player, it is a great football story, Dan has had to do it the hard way coming through the leagues. He is the model… pic.twitter.com/lExBdddAyV

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) March 14, 2025

No time to celebrate for Burn

Asked if he had spoken to the former Fulham, Wigan and Brighton defender to discuss the news, Howe added: “Very briefly. He told us about the call up very briefly just before coming here, so no, no time to celebrate with him straight into training for him.

“This is just a great moment for Dan, and of course for Newcastle. But the cup final is, of course, all we’re thinking about right now.”

Burn, who can also play left-back, will start in the centre of defence against Liverpool on Sunday and be tasked with keeping quiet the Reds’ potent attack.