Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has come out in support of Dan Burn following recent criticism of the player.
Speaking at his Friday press conference, as reported by BBC Sport, Howe expressed his belief that Burn has been “huge” for his boyhood club.
Howe entrusted Burn with the left-back position in Newcastle’s starting XI in last week’s Premier League clash against Luton Town. However, the 31-year-old faced challenges during the match, particularly coping with the pace of Chiedozie Ogbene in a dramatic encounter at St James’ Park.
Burn’s performance included conceding a penalty, converted by Carlton Morris to make it 3-2 on 59 minutes, and being out of position when Elijah Adebayo put Luton Town 4-2 up shortly after. In response, some Newcastle supporters chanted “Tino, Tino” in hopes that Howe would substitute Burn with summer signing Tino Livramento.
Howe made the change in the 64th minute, and Newcastle ultimately secured a 4-4 draw thanks to subsequent goals from Kieran Trippier and Harvey Barnes.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Magpies manager emphasised that the £13 million acquisition has been “pivotal” for Newcastle and has exceeded his initial expectations.
“I understand as it’s football and everyone has an opinion, Dan has been such a big player for us in many ways,” Howe stated.
“He is pivotal to how we play without giving too many tactical things away. He was such a big miss, he’s such a huge leader, huge presence physically and in leadership. He’s been an incredible signing for me and much better than I had hopes.”
The boyhood Newcastle United fan has certainly been a crucial player in Eddie Howe’s system, and although he doesn’t have one particular standout part of his hame, his well-roundedness make him a significant chess piece.