Dan Burn said he made a dream come true by scoring in Newcastle’s 4-1 Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain after being left without a club following rejection by Fulham when he was in his twenties.
Newcastle sit top of Group F in their first Champions League campaign since 2002-03 after defeating French champions PSG at St. James’s Park following goals from Miguel Almirón, Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schär.
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And Burn, who grew up in nearby Blyth as a Newcastle supporter, said the goal and performance left him waiting for someone to “wake me up” from his slumber.
“It hasn’t sunk in, I’m a little speechless,” Burn told TNT Sports. “It’s like a dream and I’m waiting for someone to wake me up, I’m waiting for the bubble to burst.
“Amazing [to score]. When they raised the flag they gutted me. He was so angry for Bruno [Guimaraes] shooting, but it comes back and as soon as it was suspended in the air, I just tried it.
“Obviously I can’t believe it. Home games are the ones we can attack and Dortmund are next. I can’t believe I’m saying Dortmund are next!”
Having spent much of his career in the lower leagues of English football at clubs such as Yeovil, Wigan and Birmingham, Burn said he has had a difficult road to the Champions League.
“I just tried to survive at that apprentice level and you try to move up,” he said. “Fulham fired me when I was 25; to come back and play in the Champions League… I’m very proud.”
Two years after Newcastle were bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Wednesday’s victory was the biggest of their new era.
“I remember when the acquisition happened,” Burn said. “I was away with my dad and I thought, ‘I think I’m done, I’ll never make it to Newcastle.’ Three months later they signed me on deadline day and it all started from there.”
The scorers on one of the big nights at St. James’s Park were players who are far from the “galacticos” many thought Newcastle could be signing with football’s richest owners.
Longstaff, like Burn, grew up in the local area as a fan of the club as a child.
“For Burny and me to score is unreal,” Longstaff said. “There are some here who probably thought we were out the door. I’m very proud to be from Newcastle, I’m delighted.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
