It is a human victory, literally. Dan Burn (33, Newcastle United) made his debut in the England national team and led his club to its first League Cup victory in history.

On the 17th (Korea time), Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the EFL Cup final for the 2024-2025 season at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

With this, Newcastle reached the top of the League Cup for the first time in the club's history, writing a new chapter. Newcastle's victory as League Cup champions came 132 years after its founding in 1892. It is also the first time they have lifted a domestic competition trophy since winning the FA Cup in 1955.

On the other hand, it is the worst-case scenario for Liverpool. After losing in a penalty shootout against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at home on the 12th, Liverpool was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League (UCL) Round of 16. With their pride wounded, Liverpool focused entirely on the League Cup, but that, too, ended in failure.

Newcastle fully deserved to win the match. Newcastle dominated the expected goals (xG) with 1.84 to Liverpool's 0.89. The difference in shots on target was also significant, with 2 to 6.

In particular, Newcastle completely bottled up Liverpool's 'ace' Mohamed Salah, allowing him no shots throughout the 90 minutes. Salah had been outstanding this season with 32 goals and 22 assists, but he fell silent at the most crucial moment.

For Newcastle, the performance of 201 cm tall 'tall center back' Burn stood out. He not only perfectly shut down Salah alongside Fabian Schär but also scored the opening header.

Burn scored a fantastic opening goal in the first half at the 45-minute mark when the score was still 0-0. Kieran Trippier delivered a high-trajectory corner kick from the left, which Burn connected with a powerful header, pushing it into the corner of the goal.

Fueled by momentum, Newcastle quickly added another goal. In the 52nd minute, Tino Livramento sent a long cross from the left, and Danny Murphy knocked the ball down with his head. Alexander Isak finished accurately with a shot to make it 2-0, thrilling the Newcastle fans as he climbed onto the boards in front of the stands, just a minute after a goal was ruled out for offside.

Newcastle did not lose the lead they had once taken. With focused defense, they repeatedly thwarted Liverpool's attacks, edging closer to victory. Although they conceded a goal to Federico Chiesa in stoppage time of the second half, they held on until the end to secure the trophy.

When the final whistle blew, Burn hugged Schär and expressed his joy more than anyone else. Growing up in the suburbs of Newcastle and having developed in the Newcastle youth team, this victory holds even greater significance for him. Moreover, it is also the first title of his personal career.

Burn's life has not been smooth sailing. He was released from the Newcastle academy as a child, and at 13, he experienced a horrific accident when his ring got caught on a fence, nearly tearing off his right ring finger. At 16, he worked in a supermarket while pursuing his dream of playing football.

Nevertheless, Burn did not give up and joined Fulham in 2011. Since then, he has gained experience on loan in the third tier with clubs like Yeovil Town and Birmingham City, and even briefly played in the Premier League (PL) with Fulham. After a series of ups and downs, Burn returned to the PL in 2018 wearing Brighton's jersey, and in 2021, he joined Newcastle, forging a connection with his hometown team.

Burn has established himself as a key defender at Newcastle. Even as Newcastle signed multiple players with the support of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), Burn has always maintained his position. Just last week, he was called up to the England national team coached by Thomas Tuchel, marking his first time representing his country at the age of 32, during his prime years.

The Guardian noted, "Burn had not scored since last January but found a breakthrough with a perfect opening goal. He was the only starting player born locally among both teams. This is the most crucial goal in the club's modern history. It was not just a 'Dan Burn header' but a 'Dan Burn power header.'"

Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, also did not forget to praise Burn. He said, "It was not one of those days for Burn. His defensive performance today was outstanding. We trained tirelessly for corner kicks for two weeks. Burn delivered a cross from a distance, and it was an amazing header. It was just right for him."

Even the opposing manager, Arne Slot of Liverpool, joined the chorus of praise. He remarked, "I placed five strong players near the goal. Usually, they run into spaces, but Burn was an exception. I have never seen a player run that far and send a header so powerfully into the far corner. 99 out of 100 times, that does not result in a goal."

Burn, now a hero, stated it feels like a dream. He said, "I had a few bad weeks. It feels like I'm dreaming, and I don't want to fall asleep as everything seems like a lie. I haven't scored much until now, but I saved it for important matches. It feels strange. At one moment, I became numb," he added, smiling, "I will be the first to arrive for England national team training tomorrow at 8 a.m."

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (No unauthorized reproduction or redistribution), Newcastle, Daily NUFC social media.

[OSEN = Reporter Go Seong-hwan]