'I got more working four days a month at ASDA than I did when I first signed for Darlington!' Dan Burn reveals the exact wage drop he took when he eventually became a professional footballer

"The closest he got to it was Newcastle United's development squad', a group of players deemed not good enough to sign for the academy itself, but sufficiently talented for the club to monitor them via training sessions a couple of times a week, with occasional games. Released from that setup at the age of 11, Burn played Sunday League football, and by 16, when most players sign their first professional contracts, he was struggling to pin down a place in an amateur Saturday team."

"Everybody had left school and started their YTs, joined clubs, signed contracts, and I hadn't done that, he says now. I wanted to stay within football. I went to Cramlington High School, who were meant to have an academy for football, but it didn't end up happening. But they were offering the course I wanted to do, so I just played football at weekends."

Dan Burn never played academy football and was part of Newcastle United's development squad, monitored through training sessions a couple of times a week and occasional games. He was released from that setup at 11 and continued in Sunday League while missing regular game time at New Hartley Juniors, often travelling and sitting on the bench. By 16 he struggled to secure a place in an amateur Saturday team as peers began apprenticeships and professional contracts. He worked at Asda pushing trolleys to earn money, later earning trials and a Darlington offer in 2009 that reduced his wages. He made his England debut in March 2025 at 32.

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