The impact Dan Burn has had on Newcastle United since his £13million return is incredible. A boyhood dream was fulfilled when the Blyth-born defender put in a match of the match performance on his debut to help Newcastle grind out a vital 1-0 victory against Aston Villa.
Another excellent showing against West Ham had Toon fans drawing parallels with Brian ‘Killer’ Kilcline - the defender who arrived at St James’ Park to shore up a leaky backline under Kevin Keegan in the early 90s. A hat-trick of flawless showings was completed last weekend when Burn - who was released by the Magpies as an 11-year-old - contributed towards another clean sheet, meaning Newcastle have conceded just once in his three outings.
By contrast, Brighton have capitulated at the back since offloading the 29-year-old to his boyhood club in January. Graham Potter’s men have conceded 12 goals in five goals without him, a testament to the rock-solid capabilities of Newcastle’s new cult hero.
