Newcastle debut the ‘stuff of dreams’ for boyhood Magpies fan Dan Burn

Dan Burn enjoyed a dream debut on his return to the club he supported as a boy as Newcastle further eased their relegation fears with a third successive Premier League victory.

Blyth-born Burn, who was released by the Magpies as an 11-year-old, was handed his first appearance since completing his £13million switch from Brighton in Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa at St James’ Park, and turned in an accomplished individual display in a hard-fought 1-0 win.

On the final whistle, the defender celebrated in front of a Gallowgate End packed with jubilant Newcastle fans, and his mind went back to the days when he was one of them.

Asked if the experience was as he dreamed it would be, 29-year-old Burn told NUFC TV: “Yes, pretty much, and more. One-nil, clean sheet and a good performance, so I’m just buzzing.

“It was amazing. It’s stuff you dream of when you’re a kid when you come here and you’re watching them run around on the pitch, [Alan] Shearer and Rob Lee and all those lot, and then you come and do it yourself.

“I don’t think it’s probably quite sunk in yet.”

The Magpies had not won three league games on the trot since November 2018 ahead of kick-off and although they ran out in confident mood after beating Leeds and Everton in their last two, they had to fight all the way to the whistle against Villa to end that wait.

Fellow January arrival Kieran Trippier was the hero as his second goal in six days, a sweet 35th-minute free-kick after referee Craig Pawson had been advised by VAR to re-think his decision to award a penalty, clinched the points.

Burn said: “Tripps is a different level of quality that we probably haven’t had here for a long time. He’s won LaLiga, he’s a regular England international and he shows it, and the