DAN BURN is still pinching himself after celebrating a shock England call-up by scoring and then lifting the Carabao Cup at Wembley.
The boyhood Newcastle fan is living his football fairytale at long last – but it’s all a far cry from his first senior professional appearance.
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Burn’s EFL debut came as a 19th minute substitute aged 17 on December 12, 2009 for bottom of League Two Darlington in a 5-0 thumping at Torquay United.
Mark Bower was the man Burn replaced at the back that day and is now the manager of seventh tier Guiseley.
The 45-year-old, who was later a team-mate of another future England and Prem star, told SunSport: “I remember him coming on for me but I’d never twigged that it was his debut. I did my ankle and needed an operation after that.
“He was a big boy back then but obviously he’s filled out a bit now and has done brilliantly.
“I remember it was December and it was a very long drive down there. We got there quite late on Friday. That was possibly his first experience of an overnight stay.
“He managed to get himself on but it was a bit of a baptism of fire for him. We were on a bad run, couldn’t score any goals and conceding plenty.
“Then to lose 5-0. But stuff like that builds character. You learn lessons from it and he has learned some lessons and done really well.”
Ex-winger Nathan Mulligan, now a coach at Northern Premier League Premier Division play-off hopefuls Stockton Town, was on the bench alongside Burn at Plainmoor.
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The 38-year-old said: “It was a real bad time for us. I think we’d lost four in a row.
“I don’t remember being particularly worried when Dan had to come on. Even though he was a scholar at the time, he had been in and around the first team squad and because of his size you had no worries about him stepping in physically. He was very slim but was tall as he is now.
“He was a quiet lad. Really nice too and kept his head down.”
Bower, part of the Bradford side that won promotion to the Premier League in 1999, admits that it was not Burn’s playing abilities that first caught the eye after the then scholar was brought into the first-team.
He said: “He just sort of kept himself to himself pretty much and did his job as a young lad and was just trying to make his way in the game and was pretty quiet.
“His size was a standout thing for someone so young. He’s obviously a big unit now and has filled out a lot but back then he was very skinny. Really tall and maybe a little bit awkward too, but a really good left foot on him and he could obviously win headers.
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“You always feel when young players have got them kind of tools that they’ve got a chance but I don’t think anyone back then would have thought he’d have been playing in major cup finals, playing the Premier League and potentially England.”
Burn played three more times that season, losing on each occasion, as Darlington were relegated out of the EFL.
But after making more appearances in the National League it appeared his dream had already come true when Premier League Fulham brought him in.
Mulligan admitted: “It was a surprise but it just shows you that you never know who could be watching you.
“Dan is a good example for anyone to show that you have to give everything you’ve got every single time you go on the pitch.
“We’ve seen it a few times in football. Someone could spot you at any time and that one person’s opinion can change everything.”
Burns journey has taken him to the likes of Yeovil, Birmingham, Wigan and Brighton before he realised his ultimate ambition when signing for Newcastle three years ago.
He would have retired a happy man with just that, let alone helping them to end their 70-year wait for domestic silverware.
But Burn now has the opportunity to add the cherry on top to an already magical week by winning his first England cap on Friday.
Something that his old team-mates admit they would never have thought possible in a million years.
Mulligan said: “No, I’d never have thought that back then. But it’s a great reward for him. He is one of them that gets an eight out of ten every week and doesn’t have a bad game and now he’s got his chance with England due to injuries.
“But this isn’t the end. He can still keep this going. He might get this first cap and once he’s in he could be for a long time.
“Another year or so of hard graft and he might make the World cup squad. What an extreme that would be to go from the bottom of League Two with Darlo to a World Cup.”
Burn’s journey is the second football fairytale that Bower has seen from close quarters.
He added: “Just a year after I played with Dan Burn at Darlington I went to Halifax and played with Jamie Vardy. I’ve seen it firsthand twice how you can come from the bottom and work your way up. It is inspirational to young lads who get knockbacks early on.
“But in all honesty, I don’t think you’d have predicted him to have done so well and when you listen to him on TV now he’s probably surprised himself a little bit.
“Fair play to him. He’s used what he’s got and has become a really good player. And, due to his size, he probably doesn’t get credit for how good of a footballer he is.”
How ‘big angel’ Joelinton rescued boss after he fainted in Subway
NEWCASTLE cult hero Joelinton rescued his old boss after he fainted in Subway.
And coach Pellegrino Matarazzo still calls the Brazilian his ‘angel’.
Matarazzo was Joelinton assistant manager during the midfielder’s spell in Germany with Hoffenheim.
Recalling the scary incident, the Matarazzo revealed: “I was standing in the queue and I wasn’t feeling well.
“I tried to go over to the Coca-Cola machine to quickly get a drink.
“I realised I was about to faint, and I did faint.
“When I opened my eyes I saw Joelinton! ‘Rino, Rino, are you okay?’
“He was like a small, no a big, angel – Joelinton, what are you doing here?”
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