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Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has admitted that the ideal situation for him at this World Cup would have been not to play a single minute for England.

The 6ft 7in centre-back has come off the bench in England’s last two matches, both times when the Three Lions shifted to a more defensive approach to protect their lead and see out knockout victories over Mexico and Norway.

At 34 years of age, Burn is experiencing his first major international tournament. He has been described as a ‘special operations’ player — someone called upon for specific tactical circumstances, particularly when England need to hold onto a slender advantage late in matches, as was the case in both the round of 16 and quarter-final clashes.

The Newcastle defender revealed that head coach Thomas Tuchel had informed him before the tournament that he was unlikely to start any matches but still wanted him in the squad for his unique skill set and reliability.

“It’s always good to have clarity,” Burn explained. “You know that opportunities will come, whether that’s helping to close out a game like I’ve been doing, or maybe coming on when we’re 1-0 down to try and get a goal. I understood my role and just wanted to perform it to the best of my ability.”

Reflecting on his mindset, Burn said: “Ideally, you hope you don’t have to come on at all, because that would mean we’ve won the World Cup. It’s difficult mentally, because the best-case scenario for the team is that I’m not needed, but that also means I don’t get on the pitch.”

He added, “In games that are tight towards the end, like against Norway, I was warming up through most of the second half knowing I’d probably be called upon. I just wanted to come on and do what I’m good at.”

Burn’s journey to this stage has been anything but typical. Having spent time in the Blyth Spartans youth system, he made his senior debut with Darlington and is among a handful of England players who rose through non-league football before reaching the international stage.

When asked when he felt furthest from ever playing in a World Cup semi-final against Lionel Messi, Burn replied, “That would have been when I was starting out at Darlington. As a kid, you had to wash your own kit, bring packed lunches, and act as a ball boy for the first team on weekends.”

He continued, “You might play on a Tuesday night for the first team, then go home, wash your kit in the middle of the night, dry it on the radiators, and drive back to Darlington the next day. It made me want it more. Maybe it wouldn’t have that effect on everyone, but mentally, I felt I had an edge and was willing to go that extra mile.”

“I can’t say I ever imagined playing in a World Cup semi-final, because it was so far beyond what I thought possible,” Burn concluded.