Burn: Stolen equipment didn't disrupt preparation; we must be ready from kick-off

England defender Burn discussed the team's stolen training gear, the first World Cup match against Croatia, and other topics in an interview, stating that the sudden incident did not disrupt their preparations; they must hit the ground running in the first match.

Previously, according to the Daily Mail, the England team suffered a major theft during the 2026 World Cup. A large amount of training gear and players' match equipment was stolen while the team was transferring from Florida to their training base in Kansas City. Currently, all stolen items have been returned. The stolen items did not include any high-end performance equipment or customized player boots, mainly spare footwear.

When asked if he had lost any personal items in the theft, Burn said: "Not personally. To be honest, we heard about it through the media. Obviously, it's a police matter now, so I don't know how much I can comment. But everything I need for training is there, so I'm not particularly worried.

"To be honest, the FA hasn't really mentioned it much, so I think that shows they're not too concerned. We came here to train, and this is our first day here, so it hasn't disrupted our preparations. As a team, we've hardly talked about it, and I don't think it's as serious as the outside world makes it out to be."

The new coaching staff led by Tuchel has prioritized unity as the core of their World Cup ambitions. They often talk about the need for a "brotherhood" within the team. Burn agrees, saying: "From our very first training camp, we've emphasized this, building this brotherhood and bringing everyone together. I think a lot of times, the teams that ultimately win these major tournaments are very close-knit teams.

"Look at Argentina in the last World Cup, you felt like they were really fighting for each other. That's what we want to achieve too. I think sometimes it's not easy because people don't see each other for a long time, and communication can be a bit superficial. Usually it's just 'Hi, how are you?'

"But the key is to try and get to know each other on a deeper level. So, the environment the staff creates for us in the hotel should help with that. We have some players on the team who have played together before, which certainly helps, so we need to continue building on that."

Burn may be lower down in the pecking order for central defenders in the current England squad. Regarding this, he said: "I just want to come here and help the team as much as I can. Whether I start or come off the bench, or don't play a minute, I won't feel like I've contributed any less than anyone else.

"I think that's important. I feel that in a tournament like this, many players in our team are usually star players for their respective clubs, but here they might have to accept a slightly different role. This goes back to the topic of brotherhood; we genuinely want to be happy for each other and help each other as much as possible."

Speaking about their first group stage opponent, Croatia, Burn said: "On paper, this is definitely our toughest match. Before this, we played a few warm-up games in a relatively relaxed atmosphere, but now it's time for the real tournament. You have to hit the ground running; you don't want to be worried throughout the group stage. We want a good start.

"For us, we also want to show our dominance at this World Cup and get off to a good start. I think we've been steadily improving, and in my opinion, our recent performances have been good. Now the key is to show the world our attitude."