There was some wonderful news for Newcastle United star Dan Burn as he was named in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad.

Dan Burn’s shock England call-up is the latest phase of what has become a remarkable chapter in the Newcastle United star’s career.

The Blyth-born defender started his professional career with Darlington before earning a surprise move to Fulham during the summer of 2011. Successful loan spells with Yeovil Town and Birmingham City laid the foundations for the start of Burn’s Premier League career with the Cottagers and after a two-year stint with Wigan Athletic, he returned to the top flight with Brighton and Hove Albion.

It was during his time on the south coast when a PIF-led takeover of his beloved Newcastle appeared to have brought an end to his lifelong dream of wearing the famous black and white stripes. However, with the Magpies firmly in the midst of a relegation battle, new manager Eddie Howe identified Burn as one of his main targets for his first transfer window in charge at St James Park.

Both Burn and the Magpies boss have never looked back as the threat of relegation was dismissed with surprising ease and a successful push for the Champions League and a first major cup final appearance since 1999 provided the story of their first full season on Tyneside. Burn netted a memorable goal in the Magpies 4-1 home win over Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain on the night Champions League football made a spectacular return to St James Park and has remained a key part of the United side throughout Howe’s reign.

Burn’s preparations for a second Wembley appearance with Newcastle are in full swing and there was a further boost for the defender when he was named in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad just over 48 hours before the Magpies Carabao Cup Final clash with Premier League rivals Liverpool. The Magpies star will take his place alongside United team-mates Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento as the German prepares to lead the Three Lions into their World Cup 2026 qualifiers with Albania and Latvia later this month.

There is no doubt Howe has played a key role in a remarkable chapter in Burn’s career - and the man from Blyth left nobody in any doubt over how highly he rates his manager as he prepares for the biggest fortnight in his career.

Speaking at the recent North East Football Writers Association awards, the Magpies defender said: “I just think it’s the way he (Howe) leads by example. It’s more about how he goes about it and does things, especially in training. I feel as if there are certain standards that he wants us to hit, and that’s what he demands as us. I feel as if, as players, we’ve really bought into that. The way that we turn up on a Saturday is how we train all week, with the high intensity he wants from us. I feel like that breeds the mentality that you want to win games, you want to be at the top end of the league and you want to be in cup finals. I feel like he leads by example with that. You all see how professional he is, and the amount of time he puts into things.”

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