A lot was expected of Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon this season, and he is living up to the hype.
The 22-year-old endured a tough start to life at Newcastle, and admitted himself that it had been difficult.
But Gordon has been a different player since the summer. He is fitter and sharper, and he is also much more confident.
Winning the Euros with England Under-21s gave him a boost, and he has rode that wave of momentum ever since.
He has kicked off the new season in spectacular fashion, and looks every bit the £45million player who Newcastle bought from Everton back in January.
With the number 10 on his back, Gordon is arguably the Magpies’ main man in attack. He is becoming decisive, boasting two goals and two assists so far this season.
The forward’s performances are justifying the club’s investment, and it sounds like the owners are very happy with how Gordon is now playing.
Newcastle’s owners are absolutely delighted with Anthony Gordon
On the latest episode of Pod On The Tyne, The Athletic’s George Caulkin shared details of an interaction he had with some of the Newcastle hierarchy immediately after the Carabao Cup win against Manchester City on Wednesday night.
“I had a very brief chat with a couple of members of Newcastle’s hierarchy at the end of the game as I was waiting to speak to players and they were coming down to go into the dressing room and the manager’s office,” he said.
“And they both referenced Anthony Gordon and how now you’re seeing the player we bought in January.”
Newcastle’s Gordon gamble is paying off massively
Given how willing they were to spend £45million on him, the Newcastle owners always knew this was coming from Gordon. They had complete faith in his ability – otherwise they would not have brought him to St James’ Park.
It was a gamble at the time, as it was a lot of money for a player who didn’t really look worth it. And at the time, Newcastle were trying to qualify for the Champions League, and adding Gordon to the squad did not feel like an immediate boost to our top four hopes.
But the recruitment team saw the bigger picture, and now Newcastle are reaping the rewards.
Gordon has been excellent, and is only going to get better. He is going to keep growing in a Toon shirt, which is an extremely exciting prospect.
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