Dan was born in Gateshead on 18 January 1997, and joined the academy of boyhood club Newcastle United in 2006. 

The midfielder made his debut for the Magpies in January 2017, starting and playing the full 90 minutes for Rafa Benitez’s side in a 3-1 Emirates FA Cup win over Birmingham City. 

The following three seasons each saw a loan spell away from St James’ Park, firstly with Crewe Alexandra in League Two, then Accrington Stanley and Rotherham United in League One. 

Dan played 27 times for Rotherham in 2019/20 as they were promoted by virtue of points per game after the season was cut short due to COVID-19. Matt Crooks was a teammate. 

After impressing with his composed displays in the middle of the park, he joined Rotherham on a permanent basis in the summer of 2020. 

2020/21 was Dan’s first experience of Championship football, playing a total of 33 times with three goals and four assists to his name. Rotherham were unable to avoid the drop, though, and were relegated to League One by a two-point margin.

The 2021/22 season saw Dan improve again, operating in a deep-lying creative role in front of a back three.

He scored 10 goals, including four in three games in December which led to him being awarded League One Player of the Month. A stunning match-winning volley against former club Accrington was later chosen as the Millers’ Goal of the Season.

Dan also registered a total of six assists for the campaign and was named in the division’s team of the season as Rotherham once again finished second and earned promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

He won the EFL Trophy with the Millers in 2021/22. He scored a shootout penalty to help see off Hartlepool United in the semi-final and featured in the 4-2 win over Sutton United in the final at Wembley. 

Dan played 30 times for Rotherham in 2022/23, scoring twice and registering seven assists, which was the joint-highest in the division with three players, including Boro’s Ryan Giles. He then moved to Boro in January 2023.

Dan qualifies to play for Turkey through his father and represented them at Under-16 and Under-17 level. He was later called up by and played for England’s Under-18s. 

The midfielder made 12 appearances in his first half-season with Boro, with one of those coming in a play-off semi-final tie at home to Coventry City.

In his first full season at the club in the 2023/24 campaign, he was involved 41 times in all competitions.