Dan Burn reveals what's shocked him about Sven Botman & shares first impressions of £35m man

by Olly Hawkins · Published 13 July 2022, 18:42

Dan Burn has been speaking about his first impressions of Sven Botman today, revealing his surprise at the size of the big Dutchman!

With the pair training together this week at our pre-season camp in Austria, the Blyth-born defender says he's already "shown his quality" and "looks really good."

He's looking forward to playing alongside our new £35m man - he may do so in Friday's friendly with 1860 Munich - and believes the arrival of added competition is only a good thing; for him personally and the rest of the squad.

Speaking to NUFC TV, Burn admits he's been taken aback by Botman's towering 6ft 5' frame, claiming he was much skinnier than the 22-year-old at his age!

Here's what he told the club's official media channel earlier today, starting with his first impressions of the former Lille star:

“He looks really good.

“Obviously he’s really young, can’t believe the size of him!

"I’m skinny now but I was even skinnier then (when I was that age).

“He’s shown his quality.

"I haven’t seen him play in a game yet but it’ll be good to get some more minutes with him.

“It is always good having competition, so I'm looking forward to it.

“I think you saw in January, the lads who came in – myself included – it’s just competition for places.

“I think that when you know you’re playing week in, week out you can sort of relax a little but, as I said, it’s a competition.”

Burn also discussed what the sessions have been like so far in Austria, describing training as "tough but enjoyable" - even if his 'Geordie skin' is struggling with the heat!

“The (training) sessions have been tough, double sessions.

“But it is what we need.

“We have seen how the gaffer wants us to play and you need to have a certain level of fitness.

“So yes, tough, but enjoyable.

“By the time the season comes around you want to hit the ground running.

“It is a shorter pre-season this year, with the season starting earlier, so it is really important.

“The togetherness (as well), we have got a few new lads in, coming and having this amount of time for bonding, doing stuff like the (Go-)Karting, a good laugh.

“(The weather is) Tough for my delicate Geordie skin, I have got factor fifty on.

“Being in Austria as well, that little bit extra altitude makes the sessions extra hard, but as I said, I think we need it as a squad.

“It is the gaffer’s first pre-season with us and so we do really want to hit the ground running.”