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Thanoj earned a move to Grimsby Town off the back of his performances and the tournament also proved a showcase for Burn.
Craig Liddle, who was Darlington's head of youth development at the time, had been tipped off by Watson about him.
"I remember he said to me that Dan reminded him of Tony Adams and he would one day play for England," he said.
"It was a pretty incredible statement."
Liddle, though, was quickly impressed by Burn's size, comfort on the ball and desire to win.
He was surprised no-one had picked Burn up yet after the defender spent the majority of his teens playing for Blyth Spartans' junior sides.
Liddle was so convinced about Burn that he instructed accompanying head of academy recruitment Les Wray to speak to the teenager's parents before one of England's games had even finished because he "didn't want anyone nipping in front of us".
The rest was history.
Such was Burn's subsequent progress at Darlington, he earned a move to Fulham in 2011, only to be let ago several years later.
However, once again, he bounced back.
Following spells at Wigan and Brighton, Burn returned to Newcastle, playing a key role in his boyhood club pulling away from relegation trouble and qualifying for the Champions League in 2023 and 2025.
Burn even scored the opening goal as Newcastle ended a 70-year wait to win a major domestic trophy by defeating Liverpool in the EFL Cup final.
The centre-back made his England debut the following week and has become a valued member of the squad under Tuchel, who is attempting to build a "brotherhood".
Burn was well aware of his role going into the World Cup, as he looks to push those around him in training, but he has vowed to be ready if ever called upon from the bench.
The prospect of the 34-year-old coming on at some point for his tournament debut would be the latest chapter in a remarkable story.
"He had the desire to stick at it and the fight and determination to come through," Liddle added.
"It's incredible where he's got to."
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