With the departure of John Terry and Chris Samba this summer, Steve Bruce knows that he needs to secure reinforcements at the back.

He should look no further than Dan Burn. The Wigan Athletic man mountain has only one year left on his contract and would jump at the chance to play for a side higher up the league.

The 6ft 7in centre-back was nearly ever-present in a Wigan side that secured a triumphant return to the Championship at the first time of asking. Conceding a mere 29 goals across the 46 games, Wigan’s defensive solidity ensured that promotion was never in doubt. It even transferred to the FA Cup where Burn captained the side in their stunning 5^th round 1-0 victory against Manchester City.

The regard he is held at the club is evident by his role as club vice-captain. While Sam Morsy remains the club captain, Burn has been on hand to lead the Latics out whenever he is absent. It is of little surprise. Burn has experience from the Premier League to League One and has consistently proved to be a model professional.

The loss of Terry and Samba saw Aston Villa lose not only two defenders but two experienced heads who could provide stability and leadership. While Burn does not have the same catalogue of experience, he does have the maturity and leadership skills required to marshal a defence. If Bruce is to guide Villa on another promotion push, he will need to have those skills available.