By Mark Carruthers
Modern-day football is a cynical, cynical world and the gap between the haves and have-nots appears to be widening with every passing season.
Multi-million pound broadcast and sponsor deals, eye-watering wages and exorbitant transfer fees have enveloped the top level of the game with a sometimes cold and distant environment.
Yet every now and then, out of nowhere, something special occurs that reinforces the importance of those further down football’s food chain.
On the face of it, a £13m defender scoring an opening goal in the Carabao Cup Final for a club owned by a Saudi-led consortium against a league rival with a squad worth just shy of £1billion may seem devoid of romance.
Yet seeing Dan Burn rise to power an unstoppable header beyond Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher provoked a pang of pride for four North East Non-League clubs who played key roles in the formative years of the Newcastle United star.
Non-League Journey
Initially released by his beloved Magpies during his teenage years, Burn spent time with Blyth Spartans Juniors, Blyth Town Juniors and New Hartley Juniors before earning his first professional deal with current National League North club Darlington.
Not for the first time and not for the last time, Non-League clubs provided a platform for rejected youngsters to regain their confidence, learn to love football once again and rebuild their dreams.
I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Burn on two separate occasions and he has always stressed his complete and utter gratitude towards those clubs for their support and backing during some difficult times.
For those that know Burn, there was little surprise when the big defender name-checked those clubs after linking up with the England squad following a somewhat surprise call-up from new Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel last week.
Laying the Foundations
The grounding he was given in the game by those clubs and the lessons he learnt during that time have laid the foundations for what has been the most remarkable week of his long career – and it speaks volumes that he recalled all four when his historic achievements with the Magpies could have taken priority.
Burn’s rise from Darlington to Newcastle via the likes of Fulham, Wigan Athletic, Yeovil Town and Brighton may well have gone a tad under the radar prior to his move back to the North East – but his journey deserves major recognition and should be considered alongside the likes of Jamie Vardy, Michail Antonio and Chris Smalling, who have all been held up as perfect examples of what it takes to progress from Non-League to the highest level of the game.
From pushing trollies around his local Asda, who retired their number 33 porter jacket in honour of their former employer, and going on trial at Darlington to making history with his beloved Newcastle United and preparing for a possible England debut, this has been the injection of romance required to make some realise there is more to football than those plying their trade at the top end of the game.
***There will be more on Burn’s journey will feature in this weekend’s NLP as we talk to those that know him best from his time in Non-League football.***
