Dan Burn named new Newcastle captain after Bruno Guimaraes exit

Dan Burn has been named the new Newcastle United captain.

Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who had captained the club since the beginning of the 2024-25 season, departed to join Arsenal in a £75million move earlier this month.

Newcastle confirmed Burn, 34, as Guimaraes’ successor in a press release on Saturday, with the England international describing the decision as “really special”.

“It’s an absolute honour to be named captain of Newcastle United,” the defender said. “It’s always an immense privilege to represent this football club, especially when I have been trusted with the armband on previous occasions, but to lead the team on a permanent basis is going to be really special.

“It’s been an incredible journey since I joined the club four-and-a-half years ago – we’ve achieved some amazing things together and enjoyed some unforgettable moments. I believe there’s still more to come and I’m relishing the responsibility of pushing everybody every single day to make sure that is the case.”

Burn joined Newcastle from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2022. A boyhood Newcastle supporter, he captained the side on five occasions last season.

Newly-appointed Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle added: “Dan is a natural leader and a perfect fit for the role of Newcastle United captain. He puts the interests of the team ahead of his own every time he steps onto the pitch and always gives maximum commitment in everything he does.

“Off the pitch, he leads by example in how he conducts himself. Not many people understand what this club means to the city better than Dan and that experience will be vital in helping guide our younger players through this period of change and adaptation.”

Burn was part of the England squad at this summer’s World Cup, featuring three times at the tournament.

‘The natural choice’

In many ways, Burn was the natural choice to be named as Newcastle’s club captain and it is yet another chapter in the magnificent story of the Geordie’s late-career.

As a boyhood fan, the 34-year-old understands the club and what it means to its supporters and he cares passionately about Newcastle. He is also extremely experienced and is a brilliant presence behind the scenes, while there was much surprise when Bruno Guimaraes was given the accolade during the summer of 2024 ahead of Burn.

Few, if any, supporters will begrudge Burn this honour, though in some ways this does not put an end to the on-field captaincy question. Sven Botman’s form during pre-season has been underwhelming while Burn has just represented England at the World Cup, so he may slot in as a centre-back against Liverpool in the Premier League opener next weekend, though he is not guaranteed to start every match.

Malick Thiaw, Joelinton and Jacob Murphy have worn the armband throughout pre-season and Jaissle is keen to appoint figures to a leadership group, rather than just a captain, so that trio appear obvious candidates to join Burn as influential voices.