Micah Richards has been full of praise for Anthony Gordon after the Newcastle United star set England on their way to the World Cup on Tuesday night.
Gordon scored for England against Latvia in Riga, bagging the first goal in a 5-0 win that officially secured their place at next summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
It was the Newcastle star’s second goal for his country on his 16th cap and, subsequently, Three Lions head coach Thomas Tuchel hailed Gordon for his performance against Latvia.
The 24-year-old had to bide his time at international level, having rarely been given much of a chance by Gareth Southgate.
Still, he now looks like something of a mainstay in Tuchel’s set-up and appears set to battle Marcus Rashford for a regular starting berth.
Richards has been impressed.
Micah Richards praises Anthony Gordon
Pundit Richards was reflecting on England’s performance out in Riga.
The former Manchester City defender paid special mention to Gordon, who proved one of England’s best players on the night.
Granted, it was against limited opposition, but Richards claimed the Newcastle forward had impressed him over his last few international appearances.
Asked which players stood out for him, Richards said: “I think Gordon. I think Gordon. And that’s why I was talking about Rashford, because Rashford’s doing well at Barcelona, as I’ve mentioned, but Gordon, I think he’s took his game to the next level.
“I think he’s always been a confident boy. He’s always been able to go both ways. He’s played a little bit up front in that number nine role.
“He’s definitely best out, out wide, but I think his final ball’s getting a lot better. Don’t forget, when he goes down that side, he’s coming on to his left foot, but some of the balls he put in tonight, they were a lot better than I’ve seen previously. So I think he did well tonight.”
Worrying Anthony Gordon insight revealed for Newcastle United
The former Everton youngster has been in the headlines of late.
Indeed, a report from iNews suggested that Gordon has a release clause in his Newcastle contract.
The exact specifications of that are unclear at this stage but it is somewhat concerning that a player in form and who has previously attracted interest from rival Premier League giants has a clause in his deal.
Clearly, there’s no guarantee that anyone will trigger it next summer but the fact Newcastle could be powerless to stop him leaving is a slight worry.
The better Gordon plays, the chance of that happening increases.
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