England boss Thomas Tuchel has insisted that 6ft 7in Newcastle United star Dan Burn has a genuine chance of playing at the World Cup next summer.
Burn will be 34 by then, with the Three Lions hopeful of making it to the US, Canada, and Mexico for the finals, where they will be considered one of the favourites after getting to the Euro 2024 final and only narrowly missing out to Spain in Berlin. Tuchel surprised many with his selection of Blyth lad Burn with the ex-Brighton and Darlington star picked in an initial 55-man squad then whittled down to the final roster for the games against Albania and Latvia.
Tuchel also called up Sunderland Academy graduate Jordan Henderson, and said in his Press conference: “I truly believe that these two things have to be combined. I truly believe Dan Burn and Jordan Henderson have every chance to be with us in the World Cup.
“Football in general but maybe even more international football is about team spirit. It is about building a team that loves to play with each other, that transports the spirit to the fans, the nation and the country.
“It is about building a brotherhood. We cannot only do this with young players or senior players, it has to be a good balance.”
Burn had been talked about as an England candidate after helping Newcastle reach the Champions League. However, that never materialised, and the former Fulham and Birmingham star almost gave up on the prospect.
But Tuchel said: “I was surprised that Dan [Burn] was never called up. He is such a tall guy but obviously it is easy to overlook him.
“It almost happened to me. I can tell you from these two phone calls from Jordan Henderson and Dan Burn, you instantly know that you picked the right guys.”
Adding to the comments from Tuchel, Eddie Howe had said on Burn at his Press conference: “His character is so stable, so level that he takes every challenge and every potential negative in his strides and comes back stronger. And I’m so pleased for him on a personal level because he’s thoroughly deserved.”
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