"If you'd asked us when I was out at Darlington in the Conference whether I'd be here, I probably would have said 'no', especially at this age." Dan Burn said it himself — and honestly, who could argue?
The Newcastle centre-back is 34 years old, stands 2.01 metres tall, and only made his England debut last year. He spent years grinding through League Two and non-league football before Brighton took a chance on him, and now he's in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man World Cup squad in the United States. The career arc alone makes him one of the more compelling figures in England's camp.
A squad with something to prove
Burn spoke to reporters after a training session at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City — stifling heat, dozens of kids watching, Tuchel taking a relaxed back seat in a hoodie and cap. The vibe was loose, but Burn's words carried some real substance.
He flagged something that often gets glossed over at tournaments: the difference between surface-level camaraderie and genuine connection. "It's quite easy to have quite superficial conversations — just normally, like, 'Hi, how are you?' But really taking the time to get to know each other on a deeper level. Those little percentages can be the difference in big tournaments."
That's not motivational poster stuff — squad cohesion has been a genuine variable in how far England have gone at major tournaments in recent cycles. If Tuchel is building something with actual depth, that matters.
England arrived in Kansas City after a pre-tournament camp in Florida, where they beat New Zealand and Costa Rica in friendlies. Useful tune-ups, nothing more. The real test comes Wednesday.
Croatia first, and it won't be comfortable
England open Group L against Croatia in Arlington, Texas — the same nation that knocked them out of the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and finished third in Qatar four years later. Burn isn't pretending otherwise: "That's probably, on paper, the toughest game. But we'll be well prepared."
Ghana and Panama complete the group, and on paper England should be progressing. But Croatia have made a habit of outperforming expectations at World Cups, and opening-game nerves are real. England's odds to top Group L look reasonable — until you remember they've found ways to make straightforward groups complicated before.
For Burn personally, whether he starts or comes off the bench, just being in the squad at 34 after the road he's taken is the story. "I want to help the team as much as I can, whether that's starting or coming on, trying to win games or close out games."
Non-league to a World Cup. Some journeys genuinely don't have a template.
