Dan Burn credits Disney World family trip with easing England's Florida heat challenge

Dan Burn has credited a family holiday to Disney World with helping him handle the Florida heat after England’s 1-0 friendly victory over New Zealand in Tampa on Saturday.

The 34-year-old Newcastle defender, who received his first England call-up under Thomas Tuchel in March 2025, arrived in the United States a full week before the squad’s warm-weather camp officially began in West Palm Beach — and used the extra time to take his children to the theme park.

“I didn’t notice the heat that much, if I am being honest,” Burn said. “I have been here a week before, I did Disney with the kids because I wanted to get a bit of a head start. Honestly, I think that helped. Don’t get us wrong, it wasn’t like a Saturday afternoon in Newcastle, but I felt a lot better than I was expecting to.”

Burn was not alone in travelling early. He estimated roughly half the squad made the trip across the Atlantic ahead of schedule to gain a conditioning advantage, though he was careful not to speak for teammates who chose a different approach.

“I wanted to do that because I am not used to the heat as much,” he explained. “About half the squad did that and half the squad didn’t, but I feel better for it.”

The defender — who enthusiastically endorsed the Guardians of the Galaxy ride as the pick of the park — reflected on a career that has taken him from stacking shelves at Asda and playing non-league football to representing his boyhood club Newcastle and now England at a World Cup. Despite that journey, he admitted the full magnitude of the tournament had not yet sunk in.

“It doesn’t feel like the World Cup yet, but coming in and seeing the fans, the hype of it all and getting excited about it,” he said. “I think we dealt with the heat pretty well, got a win and a clean sheet. We can build on that.”

England used different line-ups for each half against New Zealand, with Burn describing the outing as an opportunity to revisit the principles that served the side well in October and November rather than a showcase of peak form. “We knew it wasn’t going to be an unbelievable game where we were firing on all cylinders,” he said.

The squad now turns its attention to a second warm-up fixture against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday before the World Cup itself gets under way.