Dan Burn's unusual World Cup preparations as England star lifts the lid

Dan Burn is primed for the World Cup - having already conquered the galaxy. The Newcastle defender has been on quite the adventure, using a trip to one of America's most famous theme parks to prepare himself for the conditions in the United States this summer. England boss Thomas Tuchel urged his players to take family holidays in the same time zone if they wished to enjoy a break before the tournament gets under way.

Burn whisked his family off to Disneyland in Florida, claiming it has given him a "head start" in terms of World Cup preparation, particularly regarding the time difference and sweltering conditions. The towering defender came on as a half-time substitute against New Zealand and insists that spending an extra week in Florida proved invaluable.

Burn said: "I didn't notice the heat that much, if I am being honest. 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.

"I wanted to do that because I am not used to the heat as much. About half the squad did that and half the squad didn't, but I feel better for it.

"We probably haven't had the weather that we wanted this week, it has been a bit cloudy and rainy, but the last two days especially there has been a bit of heat. Personally, it hasn't affected me as much as I thought it would, but I can't speak for anyone else."

Burn confessed he thoroughly enjoyed the Disney experience, with one attraction standing out above the rest. "The rides! My kids loved the rides. Guardians of the Galaxy is the best ride. If you go to Disney, that's the one."

Burn represents a remarkable journey from lower league football to the World Cup, though he acknowledges it hasn't quite sunk in yet - but the fixture against New Zealand helped him embrace the occasion.

England prevailed 1-0, though it resembled more of a training session, with the side now set to raise their intensity ahead of the World Cup campaign.

Burn said: "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, so, yeah, I was happy with how it went. I think we dealt with the heat pretty well, got a win and a clean sheet. We can build on that.

"It was more sort of refreshing on the things that we did well, especially in October and November, and going through our principles. We knew it wasn't going to be an unbelievable game today where we were firing on all cylinders.

"We have had a long time away from each other, but we've had a good week of training, so it was more about bringing out the stuff we spoke about this week in training in the games. I think we saw plenty of that and now it is about turning that up for the Costa Rica game and into the first game."

Tuchel is frustrated that FIFA have used England's goal against Uruguay in March as an illustration of what is not allowed regarding penalty box grappling. Burn acknowledges that heightened scrutiny is inevitable but remains focused on improving his own ability to convert at set-pieces.

He said: "We know there is going to be a bit more scrutiny on it, but we haven't spoken about it in detail. As I said, I am sure when we get to Kansas there will be things where we have to sit down with referees and see what is allowed and what isn't.

"I had a few headers against New Zealand and definitely should have scored one, so I was disappointed with the one that hit the post, but I'm just trying to get that first goal."