Newcastle United and England defender Dan Burn has revealed that therapy worked “quite well” for him, as he encouraged anyone struggling with mental health to reach out for support.
Burn was speaking at the launch of “One of Our Own,” a joint initiative by Newcastle United and Newcastle City Council to mark Mental Health Awareness Week. As part of the campaign, eleven specially commissioned benches have been placed across the city, each featuring thought-provoking questions designed to spark open conversations about mental wellbeing. QR codes on the benches provide direct access to support networks, including 24/7 helplines such as Samaritans.
“I want to help my kids and the younger lads coming through because I know that I’ve had that experience,” Burn told BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria). “There are things that are going to happen in their careers they have never had the experience of, so I’ve just tried to pass on little bits of wisdom. I’m always trying to say there’s ways you can deal with mental health. Therapy worked quite well for me. That doesn’t mean it works for everyone, but things like this, the walking football – there’s always something you can do to help each other and help yourself.”
Burn also reflected on his journey, expressing pride in how far he has come after being released by Newcastle as a youngster and later let go by Fulham in 2016. He earned his first England call-up last year and is hopeful of being named in the squad for this summer’s World Cup.
“I’m desperate to be there,” he said. “It’s not as if it’s going to come around again. I’m 34, so I’d be very surprised if I was in the running for the next World Cup. Hopefully I’ve done enough. We will find out in a couple of weeks.”
Countries must submit their World Cup squads by May 31. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, runs from June 11 to July 19.
