Dan Burn has revealed that he would have only have left Brighton to return to boyhood club Newcastle United.
The in-form centre-back completed his £13m move to St James' Park on deadline day - nearly two decades after he was released by Newcastle as a youngster.
Burn was one of five signings the relegation-threatened Magpies managed to attract as part of an estimated £90m spending spree by the club's new owners.
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This was despite Gabby Agbonlahor infamously claiming that players 'don't want to live in Newcastle' and fellow pundit Kris Boyd questioning 'Who's going to want to go?' when it's 'difficult to try and get people to go to the North East anyway'.
However, Burn's desire to return home, and Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier's willingness to fight, shows there are players out there who want to be a part of this new era.
"Honestly, if it hadn't had been Newcastle, I wouldn't have left," Burn told NUFC TV.
"I loved my time there. We were doing well. I was playing regularly. I really enjoyed it under the manager, playing with that bunch of lads, but once I knew Newcastle were interested, I knew I wanted to be here.
"I spoke to the manager about the project they want to do here and, in the immediate short-term, fighting to keep the team in the division. I don't think anyone who aren't Newcastle fans or Geordies understand how much it means to the city.
"Hopefully, if I can bring a little bit of that passion to the club, both on and off the pitch, it will make a positive impact."
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