The reason Newcastle United and England defender Dan Burn has nine fingers is due to a traumatic childhood accident that occurred when he was 13 years old.
For years, many Premier League fans have watched the 6ft 7in defender without ever noticing that he is missing the ring finger on his right hand.
Burn opened up in detail about the gruesome incident in an interview with Sky Sports last year, explaining exactly how it happened.
Dan Burn is missing a finger on his right hand
According to Burn, the injury occurred while hanging out with friends as a teenager.
“I’d been out with some friends, and I was showing off in front of a group of girls,” he said. “I think a rabbit had got out and got into a community centre. So, I jumped the fence, not knowing there was a gate around the corner, and I was wearing a ring.
“It was a ring I was given off my grandad, so it was made of an old shilling, sort of solid. Then the spike got caught in the ring, and when I jumped off, it ripped me.”
At first, Burn didn’t realise the severity of his injury. It was only when he pulled back his sleeve that he saw the extent of the damage. He was rushed to the hospital, but his finger couldn’t be saved.
While the injury hasn’t hindered his football career in the Premier League or the journey to representing the England national team, Burn admits it has led to some funny and awkward situations in day-to-day life.
“I remember when I first started going out with my girlfriend, we used to go to McDonald’s, you go through the drive-thru, hand over your money and when they give [the change] back, I’d put my hand out – the coins would fall between the gap of the car and the window.
“I’d open the door but I couldn’t get the money back, so I would just have to leave it and just drive off. So contactless [payment] was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Burn made his World Cup debut as a second half substitute in the Round of 16, making six clearances and two blocks to help ten-man England hold onto a 3-2 lead against co-hosts Mexico.
The 34-year-old was also introduced off the bench deep in extra-time against Norway, leveraging his towering aerial presence to help England defend their slender advantage and secure a place in the semi-final.
