At 34, Burn emerges as England's unlikely World Cup warrior

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, July 12 : The bicycle kick seemed destined for the corner of the net, one last desperate swing from a Mexico side roared on by nearly 90,000 fans at the Azteca Stadium. Instead, a towering figure in white rose above the chaos and headed the ball clear.

Six days later, with England clinging to a lead deep in their 2-1 extra-time quarter-final win against Norway, Dan Burn hurled himself into Leo Ostigard to meet another high ball, sending it to safety with a ferocious header before stepping over the Norwegian defender and roaring towards the crowd.

In those two moments, the 34-year-old centre back announced himself on the World Cup stage.

Burn had been on the pitch only minutes when he was thrown into the heat of England's last-16 clash with Mexico after Thomas Tuchel's side were reduced to 10 men. By the end of the night he had become a symbol of resistance, repelling Mexico's aerial bombardment as England hung on for a dramatic 3-2 victory. 

He carried that same bruising, uncompromising presence into Saturday's win over Norway, helping England to see out a tense extra-time battle and book a place in the semi-finals. 

Through two games, he has nine clearances and two blocks.

Most World Cup stories begin with wonderkids. Burn's began with rejection.

Released by Newcastle United as a boy, he rebuilt his career through football's back roads, playing for Darlington in the lower divisions before earning opportunities at Fulham, Wigan Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion. 

By the time he returned to his boyhood club Newcastle in 2022, few would have imagined England recognition still awaited him. 

Fewer still would have predicted that his first World Cup would arrive at 34.

"If you'd asked us when I was out at