Dan Burn’s reckless moment will only endear him further to Newcastle fans

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‘He’s one of our own, he’s one of our own, Dan Burn, he’s one of our own’.

That was the chant that beamed out of the Newcastle United away end as the Magpies drew 1-1 with West Ham on Saturday.

It wasn’t because of a goal or a moment of genius – it was because of a cynical tackle that wiped out Hammers superstar Jarrod Bowen.

Let’s be honest; it was a really bad tackle by Burn. With Newcastle down to 10, West Ham humped a long ball up the right flank that narrowly bobbled out of play. Bowen looked to carry on, only to be completely wiped out by Newcastle’s number 33.

It was a challenge that led to a touchline scuffle, with the in form Hammers ace going head to head with the Toon defender…or head to chest given the height difference.

Perhaps Burn didn’t know the linesman had flagged for a thrown in. He may have thought Bowen had a chance to be in on goal deep in stoppage time. He did the only thing he could and wiped out the 25-year-old. It wasn’t pretty, but it stopped the attack.

In the end it wasn’t necessary, and Burn reportedly apologised to Bowen after the game. The Athletic state that the pair hugged after Burn’s admission of guilt.

Dan Burn epitomises Newcastle’s new fighting spirit

It was cynical and dangerous from Burn, but it sums up the new resilience that Eddie Howe has instilled at Newcastle.

The Magpies are a group of fighters again. That quality was there during the Rafa Benitez era – remember the clip from Leicester away with players sliding into tackle after tackle? But that quality disappeared when Steve Bruce was in charge.

Newcastle are doing whatever it takes to get results again. It might not always be pretty – sometimes it will be cynical, but the players are willing to dabble in the dark arts just to get points on the board.

It’s the kind of thing fans love to see. We’ll cheer a sliding challenge more than a goal sometimes. It gets the crowd onside and shows you’ll do whatever is required for the badge.

Last week Burn took a chunk of Tyrone Mings’ shirt, this week he cynically took out Bowen. Goodness knows what he’ll do against Brentford…

Burn’s challenge was wild and perhaps a bit over the top in the modern game. But it was a risk he was willing to take to get his beloved Newcastle United a point. That’s why he is quickly becoming a fan favourite.