Brighton boss Graham Potter's classy message to Dan Burn following Newcastle United move

There were no hard feelings between Graham Potter and Dan Burn following the defender’s move from Brighton & Hove Albion to Newcastle United on deadline day.
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Burn was a regular starter and 'quality’ performer for Brighton before the club accepted a £13million bid from Newcastle for the 29-year-old.

The Seagulls currently sit in the top half of the Premier League while Newcastle are battling against relegation. But a chance for Burn to return to his boyhood club, 18 years after being released, was too good to turn down.

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And Brighton boss Potter felt it was a move that suited all parties given Burn’s contract at The Amex Stadium was set to expire next summer.

Head coach Graham Potter of Brighton celebrates with Dan Burn of Brighton after winning the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Head coach Graham Potter of Brighton celebrates with Dan Burn of Brighton after winning the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Head coach Graham Potter of Brighton celebrates with Dan Burn of Brighton after winning the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

“I think it’s one of those situations that is win, win, win for everybody. Newcastle get a good player and a good character, we get a good fee and the player gets a move to his boyhood club, so it’s a nice story,” Potter said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton’s FA Cup fourth round tie at Tottenham Hotspur.

“It was a difficult situation because of Dan’s quality on and off the pitch but we have good players in those areas and different options so we felt it was something that we were able to do and had to do.

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“The thought process had lots of layers. Firstly, the player indicated that it was something that he’d like to do and explore and when he’s 29-years-old and he’s from the area and he has family there, you have to consider the human being side of it.

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“Then there’s the finances of the deal and the player’s age and the amount he had left on his contract. It was good business for the club and, as I said earlier, good for everyone.”

Burn was announced as a Newcastle player with just 15 minutes remaining in the January transfer window.

But Potter and The Magpies’ new defensive addition were still able to enjoy a wholesome conversation prior to his late departure from the south coast club.

“I had a chat with him before he left,” Potter added. “It was to say thank you, to wish him well, and to have a little bit of a joke with him because he’s done fantastic with us and been a real part of what we’ve tried to do both on and off the pitch.

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“We were sort of laughing that [Adama] Traore got a move to Barcelona and he was the one that was a bit Kryptonite to him, so he was thankful for that, sort of half-joking that he was the one that got him the move there.

“He always took on the challenges with the utmost professionalism, the utmost effort, and I just wished him well, he was just a great guy.”

Burn has trained with his new teammates at Newcastle’s training ground in Benton this week and could make his debut for the club in the crucial Premier League match against Everton at St James’s Park on Tuesday (7:45pm kick-off).

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