Newcastle United signed Anthony Gordon during the January transfer window, and former Toon boss Rafa Benitez has compared the winger to Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior.
Benitez was asked about Vinicius Junior during a recent interview with AS, and made a comparison between the Brazilian and Gordon, who he worked with at Goodison Park.
The Spaniard was Gordon’s manager at the beginning of last season, and gave him his first real extended run as a Premier League starter. It was under Benitez that the youngster burst onto the scene, and now he is Newcastle’s second most expensive signing ever.
The 21-year-old joined the Magpies last month, costing £45million. He has made three appearances for his new club so far, all of which have come off the bench.
Gordon has looked impressive, with his speed and dribbling ability making him an exciting player for Toon fans to watch. And now Benitez has compared his style to one of the best wide forwards in the world today.
Rafa Benitez explains how Anthony Gordon and Vinicius Junior are similar
The former Newcastle manager has been speaking to AS, and was asked about Real Madrid’s Brazilian winger getting fouled all the time. They wanted to know if Benitez thinks defenders target Vinicius, or if his style of play encourages opponents to foul him.
“It deends on each one,” Benitez said.
“In the case of Vinicius we are talking about a very fast player who confronts people. It is his game and his virtue. So it’s very difficult for defenders to stop him, especially when he launches the ball forward to run onto, because you can make contact just by by arriving late, without even trying to foul him.
“I have had some players with the same issue. The most recent case was Anthony Gordon, at Everton, who is very fast and tricky to play against. You have to talk to them, convince him, teach them how to handle certain situations by sitting down and studying videos, educate him to anticipate game situations and minimize the opponent’s chances of stopping him by fouling him.”
Gordon has a long way to go to reach Vinicius’ level
Obviously Benitez is not saying that Gordon is at the same level as Vinicius. One is a two-time La Liga winner and Champions League winner, plus various other honours. The other is yet to register an assist all season.
But in terms of style, it is easy to see where Benitez is coming from. They are both incredibly quick and direct, which can lead to fouls being committed against them. We have already seen Gordon get kicked a bit since his arrival on Tyneside.
Benitez’s comments explain how he coached Gordon, and now Eddie Howe will be looking to do the same. He has been brought to St James’ Park because of his potential, and he should really grow as a player under Howe’s management.
There is certainly no expectation that Gordon can ever be as good as Vinicius, as he is one of the most exciting talents in world football today. But Gordon can be Newcastle’s hero in the coming years, and is the type of player that fans love to watch.
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