Dan Burn has opened up about Newcastle United’s difficult season
Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has admitted he has found this season ‘mentally draining’ but insists his mentality remains ‘Newcastle or nothing’ when it comes to his long term future.
Burn has tasted plenty of success during his four-and-a-half years at his boyhood club since joining from Brighton and Hove Albion in January 2022, famously scoring in Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool last season.
He has helped the Magpies reach another cup final and twice qualify for the Champions League in that time, too, but has admitted the rigours of playing across the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup, where Newcastle reached a third semi-final in four years, and the FA Cup has taken its toll.
That has been evident in Newcastle’s league form, with United sat in 13th place in the Premier League table with just two matches remaining this term.
But while Burn has admitted Newcastle’s players have found it tough, he is confident they have learned from their experiences as they strive towards playing in European competition on a consistent basis.
“Speaking personally, I’ve found it mentally draining,” Burn told the Athletic in an exclusive interview about the Newcastle United Foundation and Newcastle City Council’s ‘Be a Game Changer’ initiative, encouraging people to talk about their mental health.
“I don’t think you realise the mental load it takes to play in four competitions pretty continuously. You don’t switch off at all. All of it has been at such a high level. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve never done that before, but I’ve got so much appreciation now for the elite players who do it year on year.
“It’s not the physical load, it’s the mental bit of going home and not being able to just be with your family. I feel like I’ve not been present for seven months.
“I’ve still enjoyed it, especially the cup games and the Champions League, visiting different countries, playing against top, top players, it’s just been a different feeling, particularly when there’s England now and a World Cup year. I’ve never previously thought, ‘Oh god, I’m tired’. That’s never really entered my head before, whereas it definitely has at points this season. It’s sort of felt never-ending.”
“[It has been a] Learning season. The next bit is doing it consistently, like Manchester City or Arsenal, who can hit a certain level in every single game and never dip below it, no matter who they’re playing in whatever competition. That’s what we’re aiming towards.”
And Burn very much has the future in mind still when it comes to his Newcastle United career. He may have turned 34 last weekend but he still has one year remaining on his deal at St James’ Park with the option of a further one year extension.
“It’s Newcastle or nothing for me,” Burn added. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. I love being home and playing for my team, being around my family. Now we’ve won a cup, I don’t feel like it’s out of reach for us to do it again. When I got here, it was a different stratosphere – never going to happen – but we broke through that ceiling.
“One of our targets this season was to be the first Newcastle team to have back-to-back Champions League campaigns, which isn’t going to happen now, but that’s something I’d love to be part of. Realistically, do I think we’re going to win the league in the amount of years I’ve got left? Probably not. But I’d love to try!
“My whole career, players have signed in my position but I’ll back myself against anyone; anyone in the world. There will be a stage when someone takes my shirt, because that’s the inevitability of time. I’ll hang on to it for as long as I can.”