Eddie Howe praises 'incredible' defender as contract extension is triggered ahead of facing his old club

As Eddie Howe splashed the cash in his first transfer window as Newcastle United manager he brought in Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes to make a huge statement about the direction of the club.

In the same window he also signed Matt Targett on loan, brought in Chris Wood from relegation rivals Burnley and forked out £13 million for Geordie Dan Burn from Saturday's opponents, Brighton.

Everyone expected that Burn would get them through the rest of the season and hopefully see his boyhood club to safety and then he'd be moved on.

In a surprise to pretty much everyone Dan Burn has become a huge player for Newcastle (pun intended) and the 32-year-old has just triggered a contract extension at the club.

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Eddie Howe speaks about Dan Burn's strong personality

Burn's contract was due to expire in the summer but The Chronicle reports that the latest extension will now see him contracted for the 2025/36 season too.

Speaking about Burn this morning, Eddie Howe emphasised his importance to the team and hailed his leadership qualities.

"I knew Dan was a very good player having managed against him many times for Brighton and various other teams but I didn't realise quite how good he was until managing him and seeing his effectiveness.

"The added bonus with Dan was always the Geordie perspective, the love for Newcastle just gave him an extra layer that we wouldn't have got from any other player signing in that position."

"He's managed to keep his place in the team and develop into a real leader for us and a real strong personality on and off the pitch - I can't speak highly enough of how he conducts himself. I think he's been an outstanding signing for us. I see Dan being an integral part of what we're doing."

Dan Burn may soon be riding the bench as Sven Botman returns from injury

Dan Burn has often been a scapegoat for Newcastle fans as his lack of pace has left the team exposed on too many occasions, especially when he was deputising at left-back, but since he's moved back to his more comfortable central position he's found his form again.

With Sven Botman likely to be back in the frame come the end of the year we may see Burns minutes being cut down, but given his age it will likely come as a blessing for the big man who will be able to prolong his career by not having to play every week. Because, you know, once a footballer passes 30 they might as well not bother.

We're happy to see Burn given another contract at Newcastle. Like Kieran Trippier, he's maybe not the person you want on the pitch each week, but you definitely want him in and around the club.